


Kaiju Blue's Drift

by Basilintime



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - DEA, Drug Use, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-04-24 22:02:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 67,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14364618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basilintime/pseuds/Basilintime
Summary: Agents Hermann Gottlieb and Newton Geiszler are being sent undercover in Hannibal's Chau's organization. Chau is the largest supplier of a new drug called Kaiju Blue that causes intense hallucinations and is highly addictive. It has caused multiple deaths due to overdosing and hallucination driven accidents or murders. The two DEA agents are going in under previous covers as Dr. K, the best K-Blue 'cook' around, and his doting and protective husband known as Dr Morgenstein.The plan has three beats and they have two months to try and pin down the key figures in Hannibal's organization. Things don't always go to plan...





	1. Three Beats between Us

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this fic back in 2015 but never made it very far. Now that I'm back on this wonderful Pacific Rim train ride I remembered it was lying there and picked it up again to work on.

                It would happen in three beats. That was the plan at least; three beats and then the bust. The finale would be epic enough to call for an encore but Newton for once hoped that they wouldn’t be returning to the stage. The back of the van was stifling hot and the suit he was wearing wasn’t helping. He wished he could take it off, or at least the jacket, roll up his sleeves. It wouldn’t be completely out of character.

                Three versus, three acts, follow the script and everything would be alright. His knee was striking out a staccato beat as it bounced with nerves and excitement. Tendo reached over and put a hand on it to get it to stop as Raleigh stared at him as though he was rethinking the whole thing. He felt a bit offended by that look; they’d done this before and he’d been spectacular. So much so that his cover hadn’t been blown even after the Gigan bust had gone down. Their careful monitoring of the back channels had told them that; the reputations of Dr. K and his husband Dr. Morgenstern were clean and clear. Well, not clean, not with the line of work that Dr. K was known for.

                Newton would be lying if he tried to say he wasn’t at least a little nervous going back in. The Gigan had been smaller and it hadn’t exactly gone down the way it had been planned; this time they were going for Hannibal Chau, biggest K-Blue distributer and known to use the stuff to torture those he found had betrayed him even in the slightest. They’d only been given two months on this one, there was pressure from the higher up to push this through and get Chau out of the picture. They needed to find his supplier though, needed to find how he was buying enough chemicals and supplies to turn over the amount of K-blue he then put on the street. Someone was routing it all to him under the table somewhere. They needed this wrapped up with a nice bow.

                “I don’t like it,” Raleigh spoke up as he leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. The van was cramped and crowded with surveillance equipment yet the man always seemed to just fit right into any space he was in. Newton shot the man a bit of a look but Raleigh continued to just give him that soft concerned stare.

                “It will be fine, brother. They’ll all be in and out; Newt barely even has to actually mess with the chemicals if we do this right,” Tendo said with a shake of his head. That was another thing; Newton loved and hated the fact that his cover required him to cook. K-Blue was nasty stuff yet gorgeous in its complicated chemical design. A high end hallucinogenic that made your dreams seem like they were reality. The only problem was that meant nightmares seemed real too; not to mention how highly addictive the stuff was and the fact that it had led to more than a few psychotic breaks. _What was taking them so long?_

                With the thought there was a rap at the side of the van and Raleigh pulled the door open carefully. Yancy were standing there and he motioned for Newton to come on out. The street was silent and clear around them as Newton pushed out onto the sidewalk and breathed a welcoming bit of the cool night air. _Beat one: deal with the devil._ Hermann was standing just a short distance away, frightening and amazingly hot in his sharp dark colored suit and those cheekbones that Newton just couldn’t stand. Hermann looked more concerned as he reached and adjusted Newton’s collar carefully once he was close enough.

                “Are you ready, Agent Geiszler?’ Hermann was part of the reason Newton was excited for this. Being undercover was amazing but being undercover with Hermann playing the part of his husband just made it that much better. It wasn’t that Newton had been crushing on the man since the dawn of time but well, ok, may he had been.  Newton had thought they’d been getting close during their last stint as the good Doctors but then the bust had gone down. After the fact there seemed to be some fractured distance between them. It was either that or perhaps he’d been the only one to think real feelings had been developing.

                “Uh, yeah man, I’m pumped. Two of us back out in the field. Dr. K rides again,” Newton said enthusiastically and Hermann just gave him a critical look. Some small little part of Newton may have died just then but he pushed it aside because he was pumped.

                “Once you guys are at the meet up point you’re on your own. Only time we can arrange contact is going to be in the evening when you’re in your rooms at the hotel. The burner phones will be your back up in case shit goes down.” Yancy handed Newton the keys before handing the suitcase off to Hermann. “A couple of us will always be monitoring just in case. Hansen wants routine updates so make sure you’re keeping us in the loop on anything major. We need this to run smooth but if at any point it feels like someone suspects anything you tell us and we’ll get you out, clear?”

                “Of course, Agent Becket. We will update you once we know that we’ve been accepted in and hopefully we will have this wrapped up sooner rather than later,” Hermann said as he gave Newton a look that didn’t seem all that flattering. Newton huffed lightly as he felt the level sense of judgement aimed at him. Newton could hate the guy in return if he really wanted too; except that was a lie cause Newton didn’t think he’d be able to force any fiber of his being into really hating Hermann.

                “Hopefully so. No matter what though we’ll see you boys in a couple of months. Watch each other’s back,” Yancy said, patting Newton on the shoulder before heading back to the van. Newton tried giving Hermann a smile once more but the man just turned to get into the passenger seat of the car. Newton grumbled a little to himself as he moved to get inside the corvette. When he kicked the car on the interior was lit but a hazy dim blue light and Newton felt a little thrill of excitement again. Dr. K had his perks even if his husband was a bit of a stuffy asshole anymore.

 

                “Please do try not to be an embarrassment.” Hermann was giving him one of those looks and Newton did his best to ignore the man entirely. He had parked in the back of the old warehouse thinking the location looked a bit…obvious. Hermann was holstering his weapon again after ensuring he had it ready though that wasn’t exactly the way the night was supposed to go. If everything went the way it was planned they’d find themselves gainfully employed by Hannibal Chau and Hermann would have access to his network.

                “Is that you talking or is that Dr. Morning Star?” Newton understood that Hermann was the real MVP on their cases; the guy could perform magic with computers. Newton was just the show man who got him in the door so that he could pilfer files that were typically behind hidden firewalls and encryption. True, Newton could get people to talk, usually by pissing them off enough they forgot themselves but still. That skill was in full play just then as Hermann’s eyes narrowed at him.

                “It is Dr. Morgenstern, though I understand the correlation please do try to remember to call me by the proper name. And it is me talking,” Hermann said motioning towards himself and then seeming to realize that really described both people in the situation. “Please just do not act like a complete fool, Agent Geiszler.”

                “Oh, don’t you worry, Agent Gottlieb. It won’t be me making a fool of myself, it will be Dr. K doing that,” Newton said sarcastically during the last few moments of privacy they had before he climbed out of the car. He shook his head as he moved to the other side pulling the door open at the same moment Hermann pushed it open which made the motion more violent than he had intended. They both stayed there for a moment giving each other silent glares though Newton was very aware that at this point they were being watched. He took a deep breath as he tried to steady his frustration and then offered Hermann his hand. “Darling dearest.”

                “Thank you, mein liebling.” Hermann spoke quietly enough it seemed unreasonable that he thought anyone would hear it but there was an overflow of adoration in the words. Newton’s heart ached a bit and he realized something that he hadn’t really considered. Hermann was just a very good actor; Newton had may be just gotten too enthralled with the loving look the man was now giving him as he took Newton’s hand and climbed out of the car.

                Hermann placed a kiss on Newton’s forehead before turning to grab the suitcase from the car and his cane that carried a tracker hidden inside it. Hermann needed it due to an old injury but it was also one of their fail safes as no one would question him having it on him at all times. Newton took the suitcase from him so he could offer his arm to Hermann who willingly linked them together as Newton led them towards the door. The door opened before they reached it, some dude bro giving them a once over though he stepped out of their way so they could enter.

                “I’m going to have to ask that you both hand over any weapons you’re carrying. Chau’s rules.” The man had a slight Australian accent that reminded Newton of Supervisory Special Agent Hansen though this guy was probably younger enough to be the guy’s son. Hermann gave a suffering sigh but handed over the gun he’d just holstered back in the car. When Newton didn’t move to do the same he gave him a gentle but annoyed look.

                “It is best we follow their rules, liebling, unless you have changed your mind on offering your services.” Newton huffed but smiled as he pulled the gun from his own holstered and handed it over to the Young and the Brooding who was watching them. Newton didn’t recognize the guy from their dossier on Chau’s men which meant he was likely a new thug brought in during the recent change up that had provided their own in to the organization.

                “You know, people used to have some trust. Why can’t people just have a little bit of trust?” Newton made a face at the guy as he took the gun with a raised eyebrow that seemed like a personal criticism. He wasn’t entirely certain himself if he was talking about the lackey in front of them or still making a jibe at Hermann. Newton knew he needed to tap back into the persona he’d lived in for months the year before. It wasn’t that much of a stretch because really Dr. K was just more of darker version of himself. Still, the switch that Hermann had made with the realization that may be he’d just been a bit too convinced by his partner’s act back then had thrown Newton off a little.

                “How about you trust that the only way you’re getting through the door is if I hold your gun? I’m going to need to check the case too before I can take you back to him.” Newton shook his head in exasperation but handed the case over to the guy. Newton had definitely decided that this guy was going to be a royal pain in their ass but maybe they wouldn’t see much of him.

                “Please forgive him, he has trust issues when it comes to new prospective employers. Given the mess we almost landed in the last time we trusted in another’s ability to keep their people in line.” Hermann spoke in a gracious tone as the man set the case down on the nearby desk and opened it. Inside the case were three bottles; three bottles of small blue pills that were intended to prove Dr. K’s ability to produce. Kaiju Blue made promises that it would let you drift away; to take it with a partner was said to allow you both to share that hazy dream like space and give the illusion of sharing hallucinations and memories. More than one person who woken from this state to find the person they had drifted with had expired at some point with a florescent blue foam on their lips. Pure K-Blue was dangerous, tainted K-Blue was even more so. Dr. K promised only the purest.

                “Alright, he’s waiting for you too. Follow me and I’ll take you back. I’d advise you against pulling any bull shit, got it?”

                “Quite.” Hermann gave a smile as he linked his arm with Newton’s once more. The three of them started down a hallway and Newton noted the number of doors and hallways that cut off. The inside of the warehouse was no longer the looming empty space you would expect from outside. It was more of a maze of corridors and staircases that led off to different rooms. He tried to keep track of the path they took as they wound their way further inside until their escort opened a door that led into a decent sized open room.

                It was a lab. A nice lab though a bit on the lacking side with the lighting. There was no mistaking which of the men inside was Hannibal Chau either as he turned to look at them with dark glasses on. Newton felt Hermann’s hold on his arm tighten momentarily as they walked in and Hannibal gave them a large and intimidating grin.

                “Dr. K and his doting husband, Dr. Morgenstein,” Chau said with open arms. He was dressed in a gaudy red suit that spoke of money. Newton also thought it seemed like it had purposefully been dyed the color of blood. Newton smiled though, warm and charming as he could manage as he offered a hand to the man in greeting.

                “Hannibal Chau, your reputation proceeds you. You know, I always wondered why we hadn’t ever worked together given the shit your former cook was swilling really was an insult.” Newton kept his smile sharp as the case was set on the lab desk. The men around them stood close and at attention with hands on their guns.

                “Your reputation for being an obnoxious little shit is well earned apparently. But you’re correct, my former cook’s work was insulting and it didn’t help that he took it upon himself to sample his own product on my dime.” Some of the initial warmth had faded from Chau as he gave Newton a shrewd look before his eyes moved to Hermann who had stepped in front of him slightly.

                “Mr. Chau, it is unfortunate what occurred with your last chemist. And despite my husband’s…predilection for pushing one’s buttons I can assure you he abstains from using our product. He enjoys the chemistry, the creation of a pure product, one that cannot be rivaled. We have brought you some samples of his work if you would like to take the opportunity to analyze them.” Newton narrowed his eyes as Chau seemed to take Hermann in, likely assessing him the way they always did. They always underestimated Hermann, took him for being weak when Newton knew he was anything but.

                “We can deal with annoying if it produces good product. And though I appreciate the assurances that there won’t be any concerns with product disappearing I have always found that the best way to ensure the quality of someone’s work is to see how willing they may be to stand by it.” Hannibal seemed to dismiss Hermann as he turned back to the case and pulled one of the vials out. He shook it lightly, the bright blue pills almost seeming to glow as the light hit them. Newton frowned at the suggestion trying to pin down if he was misunderstanding or not. You didn’t have your chemist try their own product if you didn’t want them to then be using it on the side; especially when the product they made was K-Blue. Hermann had gone a bit stiff in front of him, back straight and shoulders tense as Hannibal popped the lid on the bottle.

                “If you don’t mind, Dr. K, I’d like to see what sort of results I can promise to my customers.” Newton stepped around Hermann as his mind tried to work out how to avoid this at all costs. Hannibal was offering him the open bottle though as if he expected Newton to just offer up his hand and pop one.

                “I believe my darling here just explained that I don’t partake. If this is the way you find your chemists then it’s no surprise that you end up with Drift drunk morons whose product turns to shit. You can’t use K-Blue and have the sense of focus to make K-Blue. I’d have expected you to know that, Chau.” Newton gave a sharp smile, he was small but he knew damn well he could be intimidating if he truly wanted to be. Chau smirked down at him and gave the bottle a slightly rattle.

                “Dr. Morgenstein could always give it a try. Wouldn’t affect the product since he ain’t the one making it and I’d have my assurances.” Chau stretched out his arm as though offering the bottle to Hermann and Newton pushed it back down with a hand while not taking his eyes off the man. There was the sound of more than one gun being drawn but Chau shook his head to tell his men not to act. Newton could see the guy who’d let them in out of the corner of his eye still near the case; he had his gun out though Newton couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be aimed at him or Chau.

                “Dr. Morgenstein will not be doing that. I think this deal is over.” Newton knew they couldn’t afford to back out but he hoped that Chau would back down instead. This was their one chance and to back out now meant they’d lose the opportunity because Chau wasn’t going to agree to a second meeting even if it was supposedly with the best producer of the very product that had made him rich.

                “I think you misunderstand the general purpose of this meeting, Dr. K or whatever your actual name is. This meeting is to determine the quality of your work before I decide to start letting you use my space to produce it. Your husband there was right that you are known as the best, why would I let the best walk out my door if he wasn’t working for me? Now which one of you are going to give the demonstration?” Chau’s free hand had dipped down to his pocket casually as he spoke and with an easy flick of his wrist the butterfly knife had unfurled and was held against the side of Newton’s face.

                “One million, six-hundred and fifty-one thousand, two-hundred and fifteen dollars and seventy-nine cents.” There was a tone in Hermann’s voice as he listed the number that seemed to be a warning. Chau’s eyes flickered to him from behind the dark lenses of his glasses as his brow creased in a bit of confusion.

                “Excuse me?”

                “That is the amount that was in the Swiss bank account associated with your fraudulent bottling company as of an hour ago. We are not fools, Mr. Chau, we have not managed to navigate this world unscathed through simple folly. That money, as well as the money in your six other accounts associated with your numerous fronts, will disappear if we do not make it out of this building safely of our own accord and of _sober_ mind. Now, if you are still willing to be rational, we may still be willing to do business with you which would only further inflate your holdings. Test the product using the numerous instruments I see in this room to satisfy your curiosity as we will not serve as your lab rats.” Chau studied Hermann from over Newton’s shoulder before dropping his eyes back down. Newton gave him a grin as he tucked his hands into his pants pockets as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

                “I do love my husband.” _God he loved Hermann_.

                “I like you two. Feel a little like just having you both shot but still…you got some grit. I’ll have a few tests run, maybe feed a few samples through to some customers to see what they say. Then, I’ll be in contact if I think we could have a working relationship.” Chau capped the bottled closed again before smacking Newton hard on the arm in a way that seemed like it was supposed to be comradery. Newton did his best not to wince as he breathed again and stepped back to stand next to Hermann, slipping his arm around the man’s waist. “Tell me, if we work with you do we get to benefit from whoever gathers your intelligence for you?”

                “I gather my own intelligence, thank you. And for a per basis fee, yes,” Hermann said stuffily as he tilted Newton’s face up towards his to study it closely as though worried that Chau’s knife had done damage. _Why did the guy have to be so good at acting like he cared?_

                “We look forward to hearing from you, Chau, but for now I believe we should be going. I’d like to take my husband out for dinner now that business is done.” Newton looked at the guy who had walked them in and nodded his head back towards the door to indicate he should see them out. Chau’s lackey looked to him for approval to do so and when Chau nodded the younger man holstered his weapon and waved them forward through the doorway to show them back out.

 

                They remained silent as they drove back towards the hotel they had a room rented out in. Newton gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles white as he stared straight ahead at the road. He could feel the building anxiety settling in now that they were out of the situation. That hadn’t gone as smoothly as they would have liked.

                They at least had a nice room. It was a suite really that had a main living area and a bedroom off to one side. It only had one room, there had been some discussion of it but in the end if Chau’s men had looked into their arrangements at all it would likely look weird if they’d specified a room with two beds. Hermann made a disapproving noise as Newton tossed his bag onto the bed and sat down roughly on the side. Newton made a face at him and then let himself fall back on the bed to stare up at the ceiling for a few seconds before closing his eyes.

                _First beat; an erratic arrangement, a rising crescendo with chaotic rhythm finally settling into a quiet anticipation._

                “Are you alright?” Newton opened his eyes again at the sound of Hermann’s voice and he groaned as he forced himself to sit up. Hermann had sat in a chair and was removing his shoes like he was some gorgeous more severe looking Mr. Rogers. Hermann was looking at him with what seemed like honest concern though that drew a reassuring smile out of Newton.

                “Dude, I’m good. That was…well, that wasn’t really good but I mean it was pretty amazing, right? I think I would have gotten the guy to back down if you’re whole number thing hadn’t worked.” Newton nodded though his stomach did a small dip as he remembered the knife pressed against his cheek. Hermann raised an eyebrow at him with a clearly doubtful expression which made Newton kind of want to snap at the guy but at the same time Hermann was the reason they’d gotten out of there without having blood drawn. “Thanks by the way. That was awesome, did you really hack his account?”

                “Hack is a strong word but I did do some exploration with Agent Choi’s help earlier in the day in preparation. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to appear as though we had a fail switch, something that would hurt him if he chose to hurt either of us. I am relieved that I chose to err on the side of the caution and do so now.” Newton made a soft noise of agreement as he nodded his head. Newton hadn’t really thought that far ahead; he’d always just gone into most situation and figured it out as he went. “Are you certain that you are alright, Agent Geiszler?”

                “Hmm…oh, yeah. Totally. Just think I’m having some after effects to the adrenaline rush, you know? It’s cool, I’m cool…” Hermann sat up straight as he gave Newton a critical look as though trying to decipher if he was speaking the truth or not.

                “I’m sincerely hoping so. If we are to continue with this we will likely be dealing with difficult situations for quite a while. I know you handled yourself well during our last stint but if your situation has changed where you have any doubts of your abilities-“ Newton stared at Hermann with an offended look developing on his face as the man talked.

                “Wow…fuck you too, man,” Newton said when that deep feeling of being just _absolutely_ insulted couldn’t be contained anymore. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing just then when he’d literally just stood with a knife in his face because he was making sure Hermann wasn’t getting pushed into doing something dangerous. “You know, Hermann, I was actually looking forward to this before I remembered what a complete condescending ass you are. Like, seriously, you’re sitting there all ‘Dear Lord, Agent Geiszler, I don’t believe you have what it takes for this mission despite you staring down a _fucking drug lord_ less than an hour ago’.” Hermann had the decency to look a bit abashed at this as Newton saw a hint of heat rise to the man’s cheeks.

                “If you had not escalated the situation by getting in that man’s face we could have handled it without having weapons drawn on us-“

                “Oh, so I should have just popped the fucking pill then, Hermann? Like, would that have been the fucking solution?”

                “I am not suggesting any such thing and I wish you would respect my wishes and call me Agent Gottlieb when we are in a professional setting-“

                “Oh, I’m sorry, _Agent Gottlieb_ that I thought may be after having worked in close quarters for _eight months_ only a year ago that maybe I’d call you by your fucking name!” Newton practically screamed the last part and Hermann fell silent as they sat there for a few moments at an impasse. Newton’s hands were shaking and he balled them up into fists for a second to try and get them to still. Hermann’s eyes dropped down to them and his expression softened a little.

                “I can call in the report tonight…Newton. A hot shower and a good night’s rest would likely be prudent for us both.” Newton made a quiet noise of amusement though he decided to keep it to himself that it seemed like Hermann was suggesting they shower together.

                “Yeah, that sounds just great, Agent Gottlieb. I’ll take the couch.” Newton grabbed his bag and just carried it into the bathroom with him; not meeting Hermann’s eyes the entire time and slamming the door shut behind him.

               

 


	2. Turn it into a song of Unrequited Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton and Hermann face some of their past while waiting to hear back from Chau on if they've successfully gotten in. The two of them find it easier to speak when taking on their alter egos while the silence between them grows.

                Hermann sighed deeply once Newton was out of the room and took a few moments to close his eyes against the headache that had been building since they’d stepped out of the warehouse. He was being hyper critical, Newton had done just fine given the circumstances and the man they were dealing with. Hermann hadn’t been able to help that protective anger though at the thought of Newton getting hurt _again._ Agent Geiszler liked to act as though the Gigan bust had gone just fine; he sang the same tune as the official report from the higher ups. The rest of the team had been rattled by it all though and Hermann suspected that despite Newton’s attitude he’d been rather rattled as well.

                Hermann hadn’t been able to rectify in his mind that Newton’s injury had been caused by the man saving _him_. One of the Gigan members had been in the lab with them when the calls of the bust starting reached them. They had perhaps not acted surprised enough but whatever gave them away the man seemed to know. He had picked up a container of one of the more caustic chemicals used to produce K-Blue and tried to throw it at Hermann. Newton had stopped him and though most of the chemicals had fallen back on the attacker Newton’s arms had been coated with it as well. Hermann could still feel that raw panic in his chest at Newton’s screams as Hermann had dragged him to the large industrial sink while ordering him to remove his shirt. He had held Newton tightly as the heavy stream of water had worked at rinsing the chemicals clear of his skin.

                Hermann heard the shower turn on in the bathroom which gave him a sick twist in his stomach for just a second before he pushed it all back again. He compartmentalized those memories and refocused himself on the task at hand as he called the number he knew would connect him with Tendo. It would be a juggling act of cell phones during the next few months to ensure their communications wouldn’t be found out. This particular phone wouldn’t leave this room, however, and was their direct link to whoever was on duty to keep track of them at the time.

                “Hey. Was getting a bit worried, brother.” Tendo answered the line readily and Hermann could hear the man’s questions in his voice without him needing to ask them.

                “We are both fine though we are not yet certain if we’re in or not,” Hermann said as he crossed his left leg over the right as he leaned back in the chair. His eyes lingered on the bathroom door wondering how candid he could be at that moment. He had already upset Newton more than once that evening with his concern, no doubt if Newton overheard him expressing his worried to their colleague he’d be livid. “Chau wanted to test the product first. Unfortunately, he initially wanted to test it by having one of us take it.”

                “Uh, my man, I really hope neither of you did that. Don’t get me wrong, we need you in there, but we don’t need you in there that badly.” Hermann wanted to feel slightly offended by the insinuation that either of them would have been so foolish though he knew Tendo didn’t truly mean anything by it. Truth be told, had Chau truly pushed the issue there likely would have been little they could have done to stop it from happening.

                “Of course not, Agent Choi, though we are lucky that we had the forethought to dig into the basics of Chau’s accounts. The threat of his money disappearing was enough to make him rethink the request and he is supposed to be testing the drugs on some unfortunate willing subject. We are now waiting to hear back on whether he feels it was adequate.” Hermann had been afraid in those moments, afraid that Newton would have put himself at risk once more to protect him if Chau hadn’t compromised.

                “Make sure to assure Newton that we’re going to try and route as much of that as we can back to evidence. Raleigh’s already out tonight and I’m supposed to pick up some tomorrow; they’ve already started touting to the sellers that they have a new batch to try. Hopefully that means you’re in and Chau’s just trying to make you sweat.” The rest of their small team had covers as small time dealers on the street, it helped mitigate the amount of K-Blue that made its way to actual users due to their ruse.

                “I will make sure to let him know; he will appreciate it.” There was a long pause on the other end of the phone and Hermann momentarily shifted his focus to the sound of the running water from the other room. Newton appeared to be taking his time which was quite alright with Hermann at that second as Tendo finally spoke up.

                “Is he doing alright? I know he was all bravado beforehand but it’s hard to believe that what happened didn’t really affect him, you know?” Hermann pursed his lips as he tried to critique Newton’s performance that night without prejudice brought on by his own feelings of concern. He had faced Hannibal Chau, had managed to be that altered version of himself and any slight differences could be attributed to the Gigan bust. The story among the darker channels was that Dr. K had suffered the chemical burns protecting his husband when one of their own had turned against them.

                “He did well, all things considered, at least in the moment. He has been rather on edge since we returned to the room though. I don’t believe it is anything to be concerned about though,” Hermann spoke carefully. He didn’t want to make it seem as though Newton was incapable of this. Herc had had enough reservations about sending them back in and Hermann didn’t want to be the cause of them getting pulled so soon.

                “Hermann.” Tendo said his name flatly as though he didn’t quite buy it. It was the result of speaking with someone he’d been friends with for many years now. Tendo knew when Hermann wasn’t quite telling the truth and wasn’t afraid to call him on it even when it had to do with work.

                “It was a stressful night, Agent Choi. I do not wish to judge him for being tense after the fact when I was as well. I do believe that Newton can handle this; he may just not be as carefree about it as he once was.” Hermann glanced towards the closed bathroom door once more and frowned a little.

                “And what about you, Hermann? Are you doing alright? I know you were a little concerned about being so close…” Tendo had chastised Hermann for pulling away from Newton after the bust but had never pushed him about it. It had felt like too much at that time, the guilt for what had happened. Still felt a bit too much now but part of Hermann was glad to have an excuse to be back within Newton’s immediate proximity. He’d avoided him for too long before and once Hermann realized just how unfair that had been to both of them it had seemed just as unfair to expect Newton to let him back in.

                “I am…fine. To be honest it is easier with our false personas though it is selfish of me to enjoy the moments.” The water finally shut off in the bathroom and Hermann hesitated to continue. He was uncertain how much Newton may be able to hear now that there wasn’t the protective cascade of water drowning out any hushed words that carried that far.

                “You know, you could use this as your chance to talk with him. Mend things for real so it doesn’t have to go away again when this is done.” Newton stepped out of the bathroom, sweatpants and a green sleeveless shirt that put those tattoos on display. Hermann’s heart fluttered slightly as his eyes momentarily scanned the deep blues and greens of ocean waters with the bright shifting yellows and oranges of long-tendriled aquatic beasts. Newton had gotten some heat from Special Supervisory Agent Hansen for them since they were so unique. Hermann had realized when he first saw them, still new and a bit raw on Newton’s skin; that the man never expected to be allowed to go undercover again. _Chemical scars are just as noticeable and weird as tattoos, dude._

                “Yes, I will consider that. Thank you Agent Choi, we will report in tomorrow,” Hermann said as Newton gave him a questioning look when he caught him staring. Hermann dropped his eyes as he heard Tendo catch the hint from the other side of the line.

                “Good night, brother. It will be Yancy tomorrow most likely. I’ll catch you later on.” Hermann hung up the phone and looked up again to find that Newton had continued into the small living space of the hotel room. He had dropped his bag by the couch and was already laying down by the time Hermann peeked out at him. Hermann shook his head as he realized that Newton hadn’t even grabbed any blankets or a pillow and he moved to the linen closet himself to pull some extras down.

                “I’m fine,” Newton said as he watched him from his spot on the couch. He was practically pouting and Hermann struggled for a second to imagine how Newton Geiszler had managed to get a job within a federal agency. He was brilliant but he could act like a child sometimes. Hermann found it hard to stay irritated at him though, he had his own share of the blame.

                “You could just share the bed. It is a king, there is plenty of room and you would get a better night’s sleep.” Newton huffed lightly from his place on the couch even as Hermann set the stack of blankets down. He lifted the sheet and unfurled it, shaking it out and giving Newton an expectant look as he waited for the response to his offer. Hermann may not sleep better with Newton in the bed besides him but Newton would. If they got the call tomorrow, if Chau wanted them to go back in, Newton would be the one that needed to be on point. Hermann could still manage to slide by simply by being the doting husband for a while until they’d established some trust.

                “No, its fine. I know I kick sometimes,” Newton said with some sort of resignation in his voice as he sat up to take the blanket from Hermann. He had softened in those moments, some of that lingering irritation passing as he messily laid the sheet out on the couch.

                “I imagine there’d be enough room that even that would not be a factor. Are you certain?” Newton’s mouth quirked slightly to the side in thought as he straightened his glasses that had gone slightly skewed from lying down. Newton glanced up at him in a way that made Hermann wish he could press a hand against his cheek in reassurance. He couldn’t though, not just then, not when he wasn’t simply playing a part.

                “Yeah, it’s good. It’s not a bad couch but I will take the blankets,” Newton said as he stood up again. Hermann helped him get the other blankets and the pillow set out at least as he tried not to let his eyes linger for too long on Newton. It was indecent of him to admire the man, the stocky build that wasn’t all muscles and strength like the Becket’s but was softer in design. Hermann appreciated the fact that Newton’s freckles were still visible on his shoulders even with the tapering off tattoos, an octopi’s reaching tendril seeming to snake further under the edge of his shirt as though it reached out of the depths. Newton turned to face him and Hermann blinked as he met the man’s eyes. “Is there a problem?”

                “What? No, I just…hadn’t really seen them in their entirety since you’d gotten them done.” Hermann was caught off guard by the sudden reversion to hostility in Newton’s tone.

                “Yeah, well, now you see them. They sure are there, aren’t they?” Hermann was certain there was an accusation in Newton’s tone and felt that twist of guilt that exasperated the pounding behind his eyes. Hermann dropped his gaze, unable to maintain eye contact with Newton while the other was wearing that confrontational look.

                “Yes, yes I suppose they are. I believe I am going to get cleaned up and then get some rest. I will take the couch tomorrow night so that we are at least each getting a chance at a good night’s rest on an equal basis.” Hermann turned to head towards the bedroom not really expecting any further response from Newton. He could have tricked himself to think the man had reached to stop him for a second but Newton’s hand never came to rest on his wrist and so Hermann just retreated back to the bedroom. “Good night, Agent Geiszler.”

                “Night Hermann.” Hermann failed to hear the words that were spoken in a whisper behind him.

 

                _Stuck in a lingering reframe, tempo slowing to a woeful pace…_ Newton had stood under the hot water for a lot longer than he had planned after storming into the bathroom. His hands wouldn’t stop shaking and he had felt unreasonable angry at Hermann which had melted away into just a sadness that had lingered over the last several months. He had traced some of the lines of scars that were raised beneath his tattoos, hidden but still very much there. He honestly couldn’t remember much from the time that the acid had hit his skin to a few days later when the pain killers had finally done enough to dull away the sense of agony. Still, the scars had seemed like something people held their breaths around whereas the tattoos were just him. People may stare but they didn’t pity him. Newton didn’t feel he needed pity; he had done it to keep Hermann from suffering far worse.

                Hermann, who had just retreated back to the bedroom for a few moments before disappearing into the bathroom. Hermann, who had stared at his tattoos when Newton had first come out of the bathroom as though they were some red letter on his soul. Newton shouldn’t have gotten so angry but it had reared up when he could feel Hermann’s eyes lingering and he’d been so certain it was in judgement. He’d reacted fast and brash as he always did and then that look of _guilt_ had registered to him. He hadn’t really ever considered the fact that Hermann might feel guilty about what had happened. Hermann had been the entire reason the burns hadn’t been worse, had only made it to second degree and not third. His brain tried to convince him that it had been part of the act but there was no one here for Hermann to be acting for. That guilt had been raw and painful and Newton’s soul ached a bit but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to speak up in the face of it.

                Newton laid back down, placing his glasses on the side table this time so he didn’t accidentally manage to warp them and pulled the blankets up around himself. He turned the lamp off on the table and laid there with only the light from the bedroom spilling out into the rest of the suite. Hermann had no reason to feel guilty in Newton’s mind but no matter how he worked it he couldn’t deny he’d seen something there. Perhaps it had been pity, Newton could understand pity a bit better. He’d had people look at him with pity since he was young; the odd kid out who was too smart for his own good. Other kids thought he was weird, the adults thought he was too spastic, nowhere to fit and always that pity.

                He laid there for a long time, long enough that he caught Hermann’s form moving back out of the bathroom after his shower. The man had paused in the doorway to look in at him and Newton had closed his eyes to pretend to be asleep. If Hermann really thought that sleeping in the bed with him would have been any easier than sleeping out here, well, then Hermann really didn’t understand how laughable that was. Newton wouldn’t have been able to do anything but lie there and think about the fact that Hermann was so close.

                The suite fell into darkness as Hermann finally settled in for the night. All Newton could do was lie there and think about how Hermann was so far away.

 

                They had spent the entire day in the suite waiting. Newton was getting restless, Hermann could tell by the way the man drummed around the space. They had hardly talked the entire day and Hermann wasn’t certain he could take that exasperating silence punctuated by the staccato beat of Newton drumming on the countertops one more time. Leaving would mean they had to don their acquired personas but it would surely be better than going insane inside the suite. He finally looked up from his computer to where Newton was flipping aimlessly through the channels on the television with a frustrated sigh.

                “Would you like to go for dinner? It wouldn’t hurt for us to make some sort of appearance in case they are watching for some movement on our part and it would get us out of this godforsaken room for a short while.” Newton tilted his head against the back of the couch to look Hermann in the eyes for what felt like the first time that day.

                “We’ll have to get all dolled up?” Newton seemed to be asking him if that was alright as though Hermann wasn’t the one that suggested it. Of course he understood they’d have to be in their acquired personas if they left the room.

                “I am fine with that if you are.” Newton stared at him for a second before nodding enthusiastically and springing up from the couch. Hermann felt a bit of relief that the man had agreed. Hermann shifted to get ready himself without any further discussion on their part but he was simply glad that Newton would have an opportunity to burn off some of that nervous energy. Plus, if he was being honest, he welcomed the fact that they would _have_ to actually speak with each other while out in their alternate personalities. The quiet had been weighing on him, the knowledge that the rift between them had seemed to grow even deeper the night before.

                There was a running joke amongst the team that Newton less played a role than simply threw himself at people under a different name when he was undercover. Hermann could tell the difference though, had grown use to what was Newton and what was Dr. K. Certainly the two were closely entwined, the best lies were often those closest to the truth. Dr. K dressed a bit more posh than Newton did though, a little more put together in a way that was both flattering and so completely jarring in Hermann’s mind each time he saw it. There was a stillness to Dr. K as well; one that Hermann was honestly surprised that Newton managed to pull off given his typical chaotic nature. Hermann preferred that chaos.

                Hermann, for his part, simply had to forget to play his role. It had been an act originally but it hadn’t been one for a long time; that doting nature and adoration. For Hermann to be Morgenstern he simply had to allow himself to forget that he shouldn’t be hopelessly in love with his coworker and partner, Newton Geiszler. It was when he was himself, when he couldn’t afford to forget what sort of risk being in love with Newton posed for both of them, that he had to act.

                They had both changed and the moment they were out of the room they slipped back into their roles. Newton gave him a smile, met his eyes for only the second time that day and they moved to take the elevator down to the lobby so they could retrieve their car. They had found a small but upscale place that served Italian, had the valet park the car and been seated in a short amount of time ever aware that they could have observers. They had developed a way of conversing truthfully by framing the questions as their respective counter parts during their last stint. Hermann was glad to find that they still had that knack while they sat and ate dinner.

                “If Chau doesn’t hire me, darling, where would you like to go? We could go anywhere you desire; I can work from anywhere.” Hermann knew this was meant as where would Hermann go if he was able to travel anywhere. It had almost been a game back then to guess but now Hermann felt it was less a game and more about trying to get back on even footing with each other.

                “I am content wherever you are, mein liebling, but I suppose I would enjoy taking some time to return to Germany. It has been a long time since we last visited.” Hermann had spent the first few years of his life in Germany before they’d all moved to the US for his father’s job. He still had dual citizenship but it had been years since he’d last gone back. He was happy for the fact that Newton would take that first part, his contentment with being near the man, as being for show despite there being a hidden bit of truth there as well. “How about you though, K? Isn’t there somewhere you’d like to go?”

                Newton seemed to take a long moment to think about this as he took a bite of his pasta. Hermann picked up on the fact that Newton was looking at something over his shoulder and he sat up just a bit straighter. A reassuring smile crossed Newton’s face though Hermann knew now that they were definitely not anonymous to everyone inside the restaurant.

                “I think I’d like to go to Iceland. One of the few places we’ve never been and I would love to explore it with you, dear,” Newton answered him finally as he reached across the table to lightly place his hand on top of Hermann’s. Hermann turned his palm upward to take hold of his hand and give it a gentle squeeze; rubbing his thumb along Newton’s wrist where the hint of those tattoos peaked out. Some of the light in Newton’s eyes faded and though he didn’t necessarily yank his hand away from him he did pull back to separate them again. Hermann swallowed roughly as he sat for a moment in the silence before working up the courage to say what _he_ wanted to even if he had to speak it as Morgenstern.

                “Mein liebling, I hope you know that I adore every inch of your skin just as much as I did before the accident. Your new art only adds to how beautiful you are and I will be ever grateful that you risked so much for me.” Newton’s cheeks flushed a little as he licked his lips and straightened his glasses despite there really being no need for it. Hermann could feel the heat in his own cheeks as he spoke but it felt so much easier to express things in this false state where if he overstepped it could be excused.

                “Just as I hope you know that I have never regretted what I did. I would never allow someone to hurt you, my Morning Star.” Hermann cleared his throat, dropping his eyes to his lap momentarily to try and rein in his emotions. That was the hitch in this form of communication as well; he couldn’t be entirely certain if the words were Newton’s or the act. The use of the nickname though felt like a sign that it was Newton. A quiet signal that perhaps Hermann had been forgiven.

 

                Why was it that Hermann felt the need to set him reeling right before he had to try and act like some cool, in control K-blue cook? Newton had felt sick at first when Hermann had caressed his wrist where he knew there was the very real chance the man could feel the scars under the ink. He had pulled away despite knowing that Mr. Brooding from the night before was watching them from another table with a couple other goons with him. But then Hermann had gone and spouted off about the beauty of his skin and his gratitude and Newton had just about died then. Either that or jumped across the table and kissed him. Newton had needed to force himself to remember that the level of affection in Hermann’s words was because of the job. Hermann may have been trying to let him know that he was cool with the tattoos, not judging them but thought they were cool. Hermann definitely probably wasn’t trying to say that he loved how _beautiful_ he thought Newton was.

                They were leaving the restaurant while the men who had apparently been tailing them were nowhere in sight. Newton thought maybe they’d just been there to keep tabs, not that Chau had made a decision. That didn’t end up being the case though as they got outside and the young Aussie man was leaning against the side of their car that had already been pulled up by the valet. The attendant looked more than just a little nervous as they came out but Newton ignored him so to address Chau’s goon instead. _A sudden spike in the tempo as they prepared to shift beats…_

                “Excuse me but get your ass off the car,” Newton said in annoyance as they approached him. “Do you know how much that piece of fucking art costs? And you’re resting your fucking ass on it.” Newton swore the man leaned even harder against the car at the comment and he narrowed his eyes. He was right, this was going to be the guy, this guy right fucking there was going to be the biggest pain in the ass during this whole bust.

                “Chau wants to speak with you, mate. Sent me to get you.”

                “Then Mr. Chau can call and set up a time to meet. We do not appreciate our evening being interrupted like this,” Hermann said stiffly besides him. He motioned for Newton to open the passenger side door for him. Newton made a point of shoving the guy aside some with a narrow glare but before he could open the door himself someone else opened it from inside. One of the other goons was sitting there was a gun trained at him and Newton took a step back.

                “Your accounting trick got you out of there last night, Doc, but Chau isn’t one to give someone the chance to get the drop on him twice. Besides, I figured you’d both be happy to hear that you’re gainfully employed instead of us being here to kill you. Get in.” Hermann’s hand was suddenly in his, pulling him back away from the front passenger side door where the gun was still pointed at him.

                “Darling.” Newton nodded and looked back at Hermann and let himself be drawn back to where Hermann could slip his arm around him. It didn’t pass Newton’s notice how tightly Hermann’s other hand was gripping his cane.

                “Right. What’s your name, asshole?” Newton pointed at the pain in his ass who had finally gotten off the car so he could open the back door for them.

                “Scott. Why?”

                “I’m going to break your fingers if you scratched my fucking paint, _Scott_.” The man gave him a cocky smile and literally hung off the door as he waited for Hermann and Newton to climb inside. Once they were in Scott climbed in besides them and closed the door as the car pulled away from the curb. The valet was standing there gaping as though he’d just witnessed a fucking kidnapping, which really, he had. The guy probably wouldn’t even call the cops to report it, not that Newton wanted him to do that. That would make shit get way too complicated. They drove in silence and Newton’s knee bounced with nerves as they took backstreets and short cuts. Hermann was looking over his head at Scott the Asshole most of the ride with a thoughtful frown on his face which didn’t escape the guy’s notice.

                “Something wrong, Doc?” Newton’s knee froze mid-bounce when Scott asked Hermann the question and Hermann gave him a smile that was equal parts hot and scary.

                “You remind me of someone and I’m trying to place who. I believe I’ve figured it out though,” Hermann said as he finally looked away from Scott just to pat Newton’s knee in light reassurance. This didn’t seem to sit well with Scott as he shifted in the seat next to Newton. Did the guy really have to take up so much room? He had the exact opposite effect on his surroundings than Raleigh Becket did. Their team member always seemed to fit exactly into the space he needed to; this guy seemed to try and fill up all the space he could manage despite how much he actually needed.

                “And who do I remind you of?” Scott sounded like he was actually interested, maybe even a little concerned and Newton grinned. Good old Hermann manage to make someone feel nervous.

                “No matter. The man is dead now and I do not recall him having any relations.”

 

                This mission was going to give him an ulcer if this was how Chau was going to handle things the entire time. They were being escorted into the warehouse once more, weapons removed, by Scott. Hermann had his doubts that was really the young man’s name though it wasn’t exactly unusual for false names to be used in this business. Hannibal Chau wasn’t even the true name of the man who was now greeting them like old friends. Hermann hated the way the man looked at them though specifically how he looked at Newton. It was dangerous and calculating and Newton didn’t help by being antagonistic the moment they were in the door. Hermann knew that was who Newton needed to be but it still didn’t ease his mind any that he was threatening to break bones in the car and getting in the face of a drug lord on his own turf.

                “I’m going to tell you right now, Chau, this shit isn’t going to fly. I don’t like having my evenings out with Morgenstern interrupted.” Chau clapped Newton on the shoulder with a sharp smile as though he was trying to decide if he should punch him or not. Hermann cleared his throat to draw their attention to him, leaning against his cane that he held in both hands in front of him.

                “I assume you found my husband’s work satisfactory?” Chau looked over Newton’s head at him and Hermann could feel his skin crawl. Everything about the man seemed like an exposed wire snapping loose, dangerous and unpredictable.

                “I did though you seem to have known I would already, Dr. Morgenstern. Tell me…do you call each other by those names in private? Is it like some weird role play that you two get off on?” Chau kept an arm over Newton’s shoulders as he spoke loud enough that everyone in the room could hear though he acted as though he was speaking privately with Newton. Hermann’s eyes narrowed but he stayed standing where he was. Everything was a power play with the man. Asking the lewd question, keeping Newton by his side instead of allowing him to freely move back over next to Hermann.

                “If we know we are well and truly in private we of course use our real names. Though we aren’t above a bit of roleplay, are we darling?” Hermann said primly and Newton flushed as he gave a laugh that sounded full of confidence.

                “Don’t you know it, babe,” Newton said with a wink. Hermann smiled, glancing down for just a second as Chau laughed. He slapped Newton on the back again and finally let the man go. Newton walked casually back over to him though Hermann could tell it took him a bit of effort to keep his steps even and unhurried. “We have some conditions before I start working. Things that help me help you mostly.”

                “I’ll listen but doesn’t mean I’ll oblige,” Chau said as he leaned back against one of the tables to look at them expectantly. He held his hands out, palms open as though indicated he, himself, was open and willing to consider what they asked. Hermann knew neither of them truly believed they had any real sway here, not with the way things had gone so far.

                “Well, for starters, I need to review your supplies. I don’t work with anything but the best; that’s how I’m able to make the best. Even just a list of your suppliers will let me get a feel for if you’re bringing in quality stuff. If you want pure then I have to have pure to start with,” Newton said as he slid an arm around Hermann’s waist. They were pressed side by side, Newton’s warmth sinking into him as the man’s fingers drummed lightly on Hermann’s hip in his only sign of nerves.

                “I also prefer to be present when my darling is working. I may at times have business that requires access to a network connection. I would request that be made available for me if the need calls for it. In return I am willing to do some small…projects if you should have a request though for anything that requires any major risk I will expect a fee to be paid.”

                “Oh and when we’re not working, leave us the hell alone. I like my alone time with Dr. Morgenstern. This whole thing…really isn’t cool, man.” Three things that would set them up to do what they needed. Secured privacy in their own space at the hotel, the list of suppliers that would allow them to pass on the information to their team and access to Chau’s network from an inside source that would allow Hermann to dig further if needed. Three requests with the expectation that at least one would be denied.

                “I’ll let you take a look at the supplies. If you feel something isn’t satisfactory then you let me know. I will deal with the suppliers; I don’t give that information away for free. I don’t like having people I don’t really know yet having any sort of access to my network either-“

                “You can put whatever protections you feel are needed in place to protect your local network. My only interest is a secure, reliable connection to use to access other networks remotely.” Chau gave him a look for interrupting but Hermann just held that eye contact in his own challenge. They needed either the list or the access; the list would be the easiest but also the one they had known would be hardest to convince him to hand over.

                “I’ll have one of my guys work on making sure you have the access you need while keeping my own information protected. No offense but it’s hard to trust someone who read off your account balance like a goddamn robot just the day before. I’ll also have one of my men here keeping an eye on you while you work at least until we all get real comfortable with each other. As for your private time, Dr. K, well…I can understand wanting to have time alone with Dr. Morgenstern. I’d like some sort of check in place to make sure you aren’t getting squirrely but we can arrange that with your roleplaying schedule in mind.” Chau gave Hermann a wink and Newton went practically rigid with tension besides him. Hermann found himself saying a silent prayer that the man would contain himself some. His alter ego was hot headed but that didn’t mean he needed to react to every little thing.

                “Thank you, Mr. Chau. I believe that is a reasonable compromise,” Hermann said sounding far more gracious than he truly felt in that moment. Still, something in his expression must have displayed some of his true feelings as Chau pointed at them both.

                “I’d say I’m being pretty damn giving all things considered. I want you here tomorrow morning, early, I need to get production rolling again. I don’t like my people sitting idle, it gives the competition ideas that they can sneak into my territory. Show up by six, Scott here will meet you at the door. Check the supplies, do what you need, but get me some goddamn K-Blue cooking.” Newton gave a short nod, still feeling tense and on edge against Hermann’s side in the moments before he stepped away to approach Chau again.

                “We’ll be here, I’ll cook you some Blue, but if you ever look at my husband like that again no number of your men will keep me from breaking your knee caps.” Newton tucked his hands in his pockets as he came to a stop in front of Chau, close and speaking quiet though Hermann could still hear the words. He gripped his cane a bit tighter as Chau gave Newton a wide grin. His promise of broken bones to the young hired gun had at least been forgivable but to now threaten the same to Chau was pushing their luck.

                “Don’t know if I can manage that request, Doc. Maybe the three of us could all have some fun; I’ve been told I’m very versatile.” Newton made a noise of amusement though his expression was far too dark for the humor to really carry as he shook his head.

                “Don’t. Just don’t.”

                “Darling.” Hermann spoke up sharply pulling the attention of both men in his direction. “I believe we should get going. If we’re to get started working tomorrow we’ll need some rest.” Hermann gave Newton a stern look and the other man strayed back towards him after giving Chau a slap on the shoulder of his own.

 

                “What on earth were you thinking?” Hermann didn’t even wait until they were back at the hotel room to start in on him. Which, considering the fact that Chau’s men had been in their car alone and could have bugged it at any moment, seemed like a pretty bold move to Newton just then. He was tapping anxiously at the steering wheel while he waited for the light to change. “Darling, I would appreciate an answer.” Ok, so apparently the guy had thought of the potential bug situation as well if he was still calling him _darling._

                “I was thinking he shouldn’t have been looking you like that. Forgive me for wanting to ensure he didn’t get any ideas where you are concerned.” Hermann gave a sigh and Newton hit the gas the moment the light switched to red. He hit the gas maybe a little hard as they shot down the road; he had forgotten how much of a kick the engine had to it. He eased off again as Hermann stared at him in a reprimanding fashion. They had passed the first beat at this point, tomorrow morning they’d start the next part of the plan. _Beat two, cook some Blue_.

                “As always, liebling, I appreciate your willingness to defend me but I am capable of handling myself. We do not want to start this off on the wrong foot so if you could, perhaps, be a bit more amiable with the man.” Hermann was watching him but Newton couldn’t bring himself to return the look as he stared out at the road. He knew he should maybe not get right up in Chau’s face but the guy was a sleaze. Newton heard Hermann give a defeated sigh and he finally glanced over at him to find the other man was now staring out the window at the passing buildings.

                “I just don’t want…” Newton faltered, realizing that what he was about to say was maybe a little too close to the truth. He didn’t want anyone to focus on Hermann as their target, to think it was at all okay to mess with him in any way. He wanted to protect Hermann from the very job they were supposed to be doing which wasn’t exactly the most conducive way to be.

                “I know, darling, I do not want a repeat of what occurred a year ago either. I couldn’t handle it if you were injured again,” Hermann said when Newton didn’t manage to find the right way to put it. Newton glanced at him again as he made his turn into the hotel parking lot. Hermann was just staring out of the window still but Newton thought he could see that hint of guilt in his features. Newton parked and they stayed quiet as they gathered themselves up to head to the suite.

                When they got back to the room they carefully checked each other, silent other than a few quiet whispers as they made sure neither of them had a bug on their person. It was unfair, being close to Hermann, helping him slip out of his jacket and searching his shirt collar for any sign of a slipped device while they’d been in close quarters with Chau’s men. Hermann doing the same for him, long fingers turning his collar and brushing against his neck in the process. They both breathed a bit easier as they finally separated knowing they were clean.

                “We will need to call this in, let the other’s know.” Hermann folded his jacket up carefully and placed it over the arm of the couch that still had Newton’s mess of blankets spilling off of it. They had purposefully requested that room cleaning not enter the room during their stay, insisting they’d make a request if they needed anything emptied or refilled.

                “I can handle that. How about you take the first shower tonight?” Newton made the suggestion as a bit of a peace offering. Hermann seemed to consider it for a second before just nodding his head looking tired. They made no mention of the conversation they hadn’t really finished in the car. It was as if the moment their alter egos dropped they couldn’t discuss any of it. Like it hadn’t actually happened. Newton called in and talked with Yancy telling him about the meet up and that they were in. He agreed that they’d have to be careful in the car from now on until a good sweep could be made of it. There wasn’t really a certain time they’d be able to do that though if Chau’s men were possibly tailing them still. When Hermann had finished with his shower he had moved out to the couch clearly intending to take it tonight as he’d said he would.  

                “It’s really not very comfortable.” Hermann glanced up at him when he spoke and Newton felt suddenly self-conscious as he glanced up at the ceiling, towards the wall and then the floor. Basically he looked anywhere but Hermann’s face as he worked up to it. “You were right. The bed’s big enough for both of us. Let’s just share, okay? I’d feel like shit making you sleep on that thing after experiencing it for myself last night.” Newton met Hermann’s eyes for a second, just a split moment, and he could see Hermann about to decline the offer.

                “Yes, that would likely be more prudent if it is that uncomfortable.” Newton took a second to realize that this wasn’t exactly a no and that he’d just landed himself in bed with Hermann for the night. He had suggested it, he shouldn’t be surprised that it was now happening but he’d honestly expected Hermann to disagree just to be stubborn or to avoid having to be in the same space as him or something. He gave a little nervous laugh, not able to hold it in, as he nodded his head.

                “Yeah, so, I’m going to go shower. Feel free to get settled in; I’ll try and be quiet when I come out if you’re already asleep. Night.” Newton turned on his heel so he could get into the bathroom where he could freak out in private.

                “Goodnight.” He heard Hermann’s almost confused response before he closed the door and leaned back against it. Newton was realizing for the first time how well and truly fucked he was. How had he thought he could handle this? _Beat two, cook some blue. The center of the piece; the second verse, a hint of chorus. Turn it into a song of unrequited love._


	3. The Blues Beat of my Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton struggles some with the first day back in the lab which is only exacerbated by Chau. They both notice that Scott seems to have something he's holding back from saying. Hermann and Newton have a confrontation after their first true day full back in their roles as tensions run high.

Newton was going through the supplies that Chau had on hand with the usual theatrics as Hermann marked down whether he found it satisfactory or not. He was also making mental notes where there were recognizable marks on the bags from suppliers they already knew about. He would have to start compiling them all together as he was able to confirm their identities. He wouldn’t really be able to dig much while they had a ‘babysitter’ as Newton had called him. Scott was leaning against the wall nearby, assigned to keep an eye on them while they worked. Well, while Newton worked at the moment. Hermann still didn’t have access to the network and he would need some privacy if he was going to tap into Chau’s records.

                “Well, this stuff shit. I mean, I’m me, so I could manage with it but really this is all pretty shoddy,” Newton said as he dug through the last few containers of chemicals. “But this, right here. Is a no go, darling. I refuse to use store bought paint thinner for my synthesis. Like, seriously…” Newton held up the offending container that was indeed a store bought brand of paint thinner.

                “Yes, that is rather troubling my love. I’m certain that if we bring it to Chau’s attention he can contact one of his suppliers to get a legitimate source of the acetone. It really shouldn’t be that difficult.” Hermann spoke in a soothing tone to clash with Newton’s aggravation. Newton had put on this type of show in Gigan as well, had made a big deal about having the best which had helped produce some transactions that they then traced to the suppliers. Hermann got the feeling that he was having to reach a little harder to find things he could complain about with Chau’s operation.

                “You two done then? I’m supposed to let the boss know.” Scott sounded bored though he had kept a close watch on them the entire time. Hermann hadn’t quite figured out where the young man stood in the organization. Either Chau trusted him a great deal to have him be their watcher or he was still new enough to be picked on and stuck with the job no one else really wanted.

                “Yes, I believe we are done. Unless there was anything else, dear?” Hermann looked to Newton who had put the can back into the cabinet and closed it with a rattle. He had his sleeves rolled up and out of the way today; his tattoos were on display. Hermann tried to keep himself from lingering on them for too long; they were beautiful but they were a difficult reminder especially given their circumstances. Newton would soon be back to handling those same chemicals that had scarred his skin and made him feel the need to cover himself in inky oceans.

                “I’ll let him know. He’ll probably want to come talk to you so just hang tight.” Scott pushed off the wall as he grabbed the radio from his belt. They seemed to be the way they communicated within their compound; efficient and mostly secure. Hermann had thought about trying to get his hands on one for even a short period of time to find what frequency they were using. It wouldn’t hurt to know what was happening through the warehouse. Newton surprised him then by coming up to him to slip his arms around Hermann’s waist. These characters they had created for themselves were affectionate but this felt momentarily different.

                “Darling?” Hermann spoke quietly as he lifted a hand to run gently through Newton’s hair. Had he missed something? Some sign that had slipped past him that things weren’t going according to plan. Newton squeezed tight for a second before pulling away though he took the time to slap Hermann on the ass before he did. There was something in his playful smile though that had Hermann worried even as Newton gave him a wink. “Really, was that necessary?”

                “Yep, love tap Morgenstern,” Newton said as he moved over to the chair that was sitting by the work table. There was an array of glassware sitting there that Newton seemed to eye critically as Hermann just shook his head.

                “Well, then I suppose I will have to ensure I give you your own love tap later, K,” Hermann said with a huff and Newton’s cheeks went a bright shade of red as he laughed. Hermann felt a small twist in his gut as he admired what seemed like the first real bit of laughter he’d heard from Newton since starting this. Scott had apparently finished talking with Chau over the radio and was giving them a look of mild disgust. “Do you have a problem, Scott?”

                “Yeah, Scott, you have an issue with two dude showing their love to each other,” Newton said as he seemed to pull himself out of his own embarrassment.

                “Just prefer that people in general keep it in their damn pants in front of me, mate,” Scott said with a shake of his head. Newton looked down at himself in a dramatic miming of being suddenly afraid that something _wasn’t_ in his pants and then breathed a huge sigh of relief.

                “Dude, looks like you’re the only dick that’s exposed here.” Scott actually gave a laugh at this as he seemed caught off guard by the comment and Newton grinned. Hermann rolled his eyes at the two of them as he pulled up a chair that had been off to the side and Newton seemed to realize he should have offered to get it for him. He reached across the space left between them once Hermann had sat down and pulled them closer together. There was the momentary nervous smile again and it clicked for Hermann just then. He felt foolish for not understanding but Newton had seemed confident and dismissive of his own concerns that entire morning. If Chau wanted him to produce today it would be the first time Newton had cooked K-Blue since the accident.

                “They talked about you two a lot back before the Gigan bust happened. Still a lot of talk even after that; can’t say you’re exactly what I expected.” Scott had taken up his spot against the wall again as he watched them.

                “Yes, well, there is always some inaccuracy in rumors and some things have changed since then,” Hermann said a bit dismissively. Newton’s leg was bouncing beneath his hand and Hermann gave a gently squeeze to try and get him to calm down. He hoped that Newton’s nerves would be dismissed; they had an excuse that was more truth than fiction to fall back on if someone did notice at least. It would make just as much sense for there to be some hesitancy on Dr. K’s part after the accident.

                “Those from after Gigan?” Scott nodded his head towards Newton who had his arms propped on the table. Newton was suddenly very still next to Hermann and he found himself holding his breath for how his partner would react.

                “Yeah, they are. Pretty gorgeous aren’t they? Cost a pretty penny too but they’re better than the scars. You ever see what a decent acid can do to skin? Not so pretty.” There was a confrontational tone to Newton’s voice that contained an entire realm of emotions as he held up his arms to display that tattoos. Hermann kept his eyes lowered though he lifted his hand to run it over the hair at the back of Newton’s neck. Scott, for his part, didn’t look away as he studied the tattoos that ran down Newton’s arms before returning to meet his eyes.

                “Can’t imagine it was. A little surprised to see you two back in after that.” There was a sincere note in Scott’s voice that caught Hermann off guard. He glanced towards Newton then and saw that Newton seemed just as thrown off by it as he let his forearms fall back onto the table to drum his fingers across its surface momentarily. Scott glanced towards the door and seemed as though he was going to say something more but he fell silent as Chau appeared with a couple of his men trailing behind him.

                “Doctors, I’m hoping to hear that everything is to your satisfaction,” Chau said with little humor in his voice despite the smile that seemed a bit too full of teeth. The comparison to a shark would not be inadequate in giving you the sense of who Hannibal Chau was. Newton shifted away from Hermann then to stand as he gave a sharp laugh; more Dr. K than he was a few seconds ago. Hermann shifted to stand too but this time Newton was there for him to hold the chair in place so it didn’t slip away unexpectedly.

                “Uh, no…it’s not. What the hell are you thinking I’m going to cook with some of this shit? Goddamn Krokodile? Like, really, fucking store brand paint thinner that I’d have to purify the hell out of just to get it to be useable? And some of this stuff, I could manage with it if I had to, but there’s so much cross contamination between your supplies its ridiculous.” Hermann stayed just a step behind Newton though now it was out of his own concern. Newton was playing his part just as he should have been but Chau was less likely to take to that confrontational nature than some of their previous marks. Hermann held his breath for the second time that morning when Newton smacked Chau in the chest with the back of his hand to punctuate the last word. Chau caught Newton’s wrist before he was able to pull back and the two of them stood there staring each other down for a long moment before Hermann’s heart couldn’t take it anymore.

                “Please take your hand off my husband, I’m certain he meant no offense. He just has high standards,” Hermann stepped up with every intention of pulling Newton away the moment Chau released him. Chau didn’t listen though, instead tugging Newton a bit closer to him before running a finger down along his arm. Hermann was going to relish the moment that they were able to bring Chau down if only for that moment as a flicker of emotion crossed Newton’s face.

                “Should have left the scars, Doc, as a reminder.” Chau gave a smile like he was being friendly and this time Hermann physically hauled Newton out of the man’s grasp and stood between them. “Morgenstern.” Chau greeted him as though it was the first time he’d noticed him there and Hermann quietly seethed and Newton seemed to steady himself.

                “We expect a certain level of respect to be shown if this is going to be a profitable partnership, Mr. Chau. I believe I have already explained that I will not have you laying your hands on Dr. K or antagonizing him in such a way.”

                “He laid hands on me first, Morgenstern. We get what we give here. Now, why the hell is it such a big fucking deal that you’ll have to extract that acetone from the paint thinner? It’s cheaper and it’s worked well in the past.” Chau kept his eyes on Hermann as he spoke even though he was addressing Newton. Hermann felt Newton’s arm slip around his waist and after a few more seconds they both broke eye contact to look at Newton for the answer. His sleeves were rolled down now, hiding the tattoos away and Hermann’s heart ached a little at that sign that Newton had been deeply bothered by the attention they’d brought. He should have expected it, the incident with the acid was well known, and to have displayed them to readily would bring questions.

                “It works but it raises the risk for contaminates remaining in the final product if the extraction isn’t perfect. It adds time and work to do that.” Newton managed to keep that hard edge in his voice as Hermann leaned into his side slightly. He wanted Newton to know that he was there; that they were fine despite the conflict. “There’s also the issue of the cross contamination. To get a pure product I have to be able to know that I’m adding only the things I need to add at each point in the process. If there’s a little bit of this or that that’s been accidentally introduced to the chemicals it can cause problems. I’m not saying people’s flesh is going to get eaten away by gangrene; this is an ingestible and not an injectable, but I think you get the picture of how bad that can be for your business.”

                “We’ll get you some fresh supplies but for now you use what we have. As for the acetone, make sure your extraction is perfect, we won’t have problems. You have enough time to make a batch today; I have some of my boys on the street who are out of supplies. I want to get them back working tonight which means you get to work whether your happy with the quality of the supplies or not.”

                “Fine, just don’t expect miracles,” Newton said with a huff as he pulled away from Hermann to start getting things set up on the work table. Hermann stood where he was as Chau gave him another one of those predatory smiles.

                “See, Morgenstern, you give a little respect and you get it in return.” Hermann gave him a tight lipped smile in return as he glanced down for a moment to straighten his cuff where it had gotten messed when he’d pulled Newton away.

                “It’s Doctor Morgenstern, Mr. Chau. I would appreciate it if you remember that.”

 

                Chau and his men had lingered for a bit while Newton got things set up but they had finally left. Well, most of them, Scott was still there leaning against the wall like he was a part of it as he watched them both. Hermann had started to help him get things in order, pulling the things he would need from memory. This was supposed to be the better part of it; getting to do the chemistry, following the recipe that was imprinted in his mind at this point. Instead Newton was feeling mildly ill at the thought of it and there was a weird itching ache along his arms that had him frequently tugging at the cuff of his shirt that he’d rolled back down after Chau. Hermann kept looking at him with a look of concern but Newton couldn’t focus on that just now.

                He started the acetone extraction first since he’d need it and then while it ran he focused on the beginning steps of the process. He took a little more care than he usually did, making sure he measured right and that he kept things capped when he wasn’t using them. He had to pause a couple of times because his fucking hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He hadn’t even gotten hurt _cooking_ , it had been a guy randomly trying to throw the chemicals but for some reason handling it all had him tangled up inside. He had to keep trying to act like he wasn’t having minor panic attacks though with Scott standing there observing it all. He’d probably report back to Chau about it. _Don’t think he can do it anymore. Guy was shaking like a fucking leaf, **mate**._

                Newton set something down a little too hard and Hermann made a reprimanding noise from where he stood by the chemical cabinet. Newton took his gloves off for a second as he just let things sit and he pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. He could do this, it was fucking stupid that he felt like such a mess. He was fine, he was good at this, he had done it so many times he could probably do it blindfolded. Ok, that was a stretch, it was bad lab etiquette to try and do anything blindfolded, but still. If fucking Scott and Chau both hadn’t felt the need to point out his tattoos and what laid beneath them. Especially Chau, that finger trailing down along the uneven skin had made that sick feeling rise in the back of his throat. It still lingered there now. He shouldn’t have rolled his sleeves down in front of him, it was a sign of fucking weakness. Dr. K wasn’t supposed to be weak.

                Newton’s eyes snapped open when he felt a touch on his hand and found Hermann standing close. Newton stared at him as Hermann lifted his hand gently and placed a kiss on his knuckles before undoing the button on Newton’s shirt cuff. Newton couldn’t bring himself to argue as Hermann carefully folded the cuff once; twice. Just enough that there was a small hint of the tattoos but they weren’t entirely on display. Hermann indicated for him to give him his other hand and Newton silently complied, feeling calmer than he had since he’d allowed himself to just bury himself against Hermann for those few seconds earlier. That had been stupid too but Newton felt that nervous hum in his chest like an electrical wire had been strung between his ribs. Those few seconds where he’d hugged Hermann close and hidden himself against the man had helped him ease that current down by a few volts. Hermann had carefully gotten his second cuff folded like the first and he leaned to press a kiss against Newton’s forehead. It hurt, it hurt because Newton wanted it to be Hermann and not Morgenstern. Newton was fucking envious of his own alter ego.

                “I don’t want you knocking anything by accident with your sleeves. Now, gloves.” Hermann was smoothing out his collar as he spoke though he gave Newton a look before glancing towards the table. Right, he had to get back to work. Newton swallowed roughly as he nodded; he grabbed a fresh pair of gloves from the box to pull them on. His sleeves weren’t even loose with this shirt which meant maybe Hermann had just wanted to touch him?

                No, that was wishful thinking, Hermann was just playing his part and that apparently meant carefully straightening every little thing he could about Newton’s appearance just then as he carefully adjusted his goggles and brushed a bit of hair off his forehead. It hurt, wanting him so much, and in truth a part of him was really angry at Hermann for that. He was angry that they’d hardly talked over the last year. Angry that Hermann had stepped away so completely it was hard to believe they still worked on the same team until they’d been pushed together again. Newton wanted Hermann to love him but couldn’t help that furious hurt either.

                Newton watched him as he got his gloves pulled on and tried to read what Hermann was thinking from his expression. Hermann pulled away before Newton could decipher anything and sat down not far, never too far, and Newton took a deep breath as he chanced a quick look at Scott. The guy was staring off towards the door rather than watching them as though giving them a bit of privacy. Maybe Scott wasn’t too horrible after all; even if he was a dick.

                “Darling, do you have my music?” Newton had been too distracted to think about it when they’d started with Chau still lingering. The music would help in more ways than one though; it would give him something to focus on in the back of his mind while he followed the beats of the synthesis of the K-Blue. Hermann nodded lightly and Newton had to be thankful for that small blessing. Despite everything else  Hermann always had his back on the job, even after all this time and the distance between them, he was keeping track of things for him. Hermann moved to the bag he’d brought with them that morning full of gloves, goggles and Morgenstern’s ‘work’ computer. He produced a small Bluetooth speaker from one of the pockets and set it down on a corner of the work table for him. “You’re amazing, you know that.”

                “Yes, I do.” Hermann gave him a soft smile as he ensured the speaker was on and then synced his phone with it. Newton tried to find his tempo over the next few hours; find his old rhythm with all of this as he moved through the steps. The music switched through an array of pop and punk songs that was just as much Newton’s tastes as Dr. K’s. Hermann and Scott made small talk from time to time; both of them carefully avoiding topics that might be too intrusive. At one point a man came in saying that Chau had him get Hermann a back channel that would let him do his work. He wouldn’t be able to access Chau’s network through the connection right away but Newton knew that Hermann would work his magic.

                It took him a little longer than it used too; he had needed to run through it all in his head rather than being able to instinctually just go with it. After a few hours though Newton had that blue shimmering liquid ready in a small flask with several molds lined up holding the capsules he’d inject it into. He took a moment to stretch his arms up over his head feeling far more relaxed than he had at the start of the day. He glanced towards Hermann who seemed to be staring blankly in his direction from over the top of his computer. Newton knew he was likely not doing anything other than some items that would be seen as Morgenstern’s ‘work’ with Scott lingering close behind him.

                “What time is it, darling?” Hermann blinked as though he had realized that he’d been staring in Newt’s direction and cleared his throat in that flustered manner of his before he glanced at his watch.

                “It is almost three, mein liebling. Are you nearly done with that batch?” Newton nodded as he let his arms fall back to his sides wishing his back had cracked. There was a bit of tension in his shoulders that was residual from the morning but he’d be done soon which meant they’d be out of there and able to actually relax in the next hour.

                “Yeah, just got to fill and seal it all. Shouldn’t take too long.” Newton worked on carefully pipetting specific volumes into the capsules which would go quicker if Chau had the decency to have a multi-headed pipette. Still, it didn’t take him too long to fill them each before using the small heat plate he’d designed to help seal each of the capsules closed. It was his own design; his meaning _Newton’s_ , though it was contributed to Dr. K. The way he made those translucent little gel capsules of K-Blue that were so distinct. He let it heat for a few seconds to just the right temperature that when pushed down over the other half of the mold it would heat the gel of the capsules just enough they’d fold in a seal. It wasn’t perfect but it was a work of art either way. No big machinery needed.

                Hermann had packed up by the time Newton pulled the heat plate off the last mold to let it cool. Scott was talking into his hand radio letting Chau know that the pills were ready. Newton hoped that Chau wouldn’t come to inspect them. It was less a concern he’d find them lacking and more just Newton really _not_ wanting to deal with the guy again. He started to carefully pop the pills from the molds into a funnel. Hermann moved to the table and took a pair of gloves to help him with it, two bottles getting filled up entirely. It didn’t look like much but that small amount of blue that he’d produced would make Chau an awful lot of money. Hopefully most of that money would be from the DEA itself as their guys worked on discreetly collecting it back off the streets.

                “I can see you two out if you’re done. Chau’s busy but he’ll come by and inspect the pills later. If there’s a problem you’ll know,” Scott said after a few seconds as they cleaned up the work space. Hermann had carefully rinsed the glassware under Newton’s guidance of what needed rinsed and how, Newton had gotten all the chemicals that were still out put back in place. The table was still a bit of a disorganized mess but it was now his disorganized mess with the two bottles of K-Blue sitting in the center waiting for Chau’s scrutiny.

                “There won’t be any problems, I assure you,” Hermann said as he disposed of his gloves and Newton took his off for the last time that day. They would leave some of the items they’d brought with them, the molds and heat plate, the remaining empty capsules to be used eventually. Anything more personal that wasn’t related directly to the work was carefully packed back into Hermann’s bag which Newton shouldered before Hermann could.

                “We’re not working through lunch after this cause honestly I’m fucking starving,” Newton said as they started to follow Scott out. _They’d be back to do this all over again tomorrow_. Some of Newton’s hunger died at the thought though he glanced at Hermann and reminded himself it wouldn’t be that bad. This would be the worse day, the rest would be routine after this. He had jumped that first hurdle with Hermann’s careful support and from here out they’d be golden. _I hope._

                Scott stopped at the door as they moved outside to get into their car. The guy lingered there for a bit like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. Newton had gotten the feeling he’d wanted to say something earlier too, before Chau had come into the room. Scott never said anything though, just waited until they were in the car and then gave a wave before retreating back into the building.

               

                Newton dwelled a little on it as they drove; the two of them discussing idle thing such as where to grab an early dinner since they were both aware that the car may still be bugged. Newton dwelled on it because it was easier to dwell on what random guy Scott may have to say to them that he didn’t feel allowed to say than to dwell on the events from earlier in the day. Newton dwelled on it because of what it could mean because if Scott didn’t feel he could say it with others around it may be that there was some danger he was trying to tip them off to. Though why would he do that? Why would one of Chau’s men try to tip them off if there was some risk they weren’t seeing? Such as their covers not being so clean and clear as they’d thought. The thought made his nerves jump a bit and he knew he needed to focus on something else.

                By the time they pulled up to the small restaurant that wasn’t far from their hotel to try and pick up some Chinese food Newton had managed to convince himself it was nothing. Maybe. Sort of. Not really but Newt would rather believe the guy felt bad for being weird about their affections than to think that they’re covers were secretly blown from the beginning and Chau was just biding his time to do them in.

                “Do you want to get it to go, K?” Hermann spoke up as they parked and unbuckled. He looked tired which given the day they’d had maybe wasn’t that weird. Hermann had played the doting and protective husband well all day. Newton wondered how much a strain that was for him to manage to put up that act. It seemed effortless but maybe it wasn’t. He felt that twist of emotions because of course it wasn’t effortless for him. Newton could take a lot of effort to put up with, he knew that. Maybe Hermann liked Dr. K more than he liked actual Newton.

                “Of course. We can take it back with us and eat in peace.” Newton tried to push that train of thought away forcible as he nodded. He was maybe a little tired too, a lot of tired. He hadn’t really slept all that great the night before with Hermann lying so close and Newton doing everything in his power not to shift and move around too much. Maybe he hadn’t been as successful at that as he had hoped and that was why Hermann looked tired. Hermann was looking at him with that somewhat suspicious squint so Newton pushed out of the car quickly to get out from under it.

                They went in and ordered their food and Newton sat and focused on his new worries. Had he kept Hermann up or was it just that today had been kind of a long day? It could be both. He should take the couch tonight despite the fact that he had been the one to tell Hermann not to take the couch last night. They’d probably end up arguing if he did that. Newton didn’t have the energy to argue tonight. What he really wished was that they could have one of those nights like they’d used to have. They would talk excitedly about whatever while decompressing from the day with no actual arguments. Bickering, sure, but not these heated moments of anger that were mostly Newton’s fault if he was honest.  

                Their food luckily came quickly because Hermann had started to give him more those looks. The questioning looks like he thought that Newton wasn’t going to contain whatever was going on inside of him. As they stepped out of the restaurant Hermann grabbed his hand, stopping him for a second before taking the keys from Newton and nudging him towards the passenger side of the car. Newton’s hand had lit up like fire at the touch like Hermann was the one made of electricity. He started to protest but Newton used the last remaining dredges of his willpower to just stop because he really, really didn’t want to argue. He didn’t have it in him to argue. It’d be halfhearted at best. He got into the car and rested his head against the passenger side window and closed his eyes as he trusted Hermann to get them back to the hotel.

 

                Hermann had started to worry about Newton partway back to the hotel. That was perhaps not the full truth as Hermann had been worried about Newton basically the entire day. He was unusually quiet, he had never returned to his full level of unstoppable energy though he had at least seemed to steady out throughout the day of focusing on his chemical reactions and careful extractions. On the drive home though he could practically hear Newton thinking about something. The man’s fingers had drummed on the steering wheel, he didn’t keep a steady level on the gas pedal and had slowed numerous times as they’d gone down the road. It was why he’d taken the keys when they left the restaurant and Newton had quickly fallen asleep against the passenger side’s window.

                Hermann had just parked the car and turned it off as he looked at him. He hated to wake him but he wasn’t going to leave him there to sleep either. After a second Hermann reached across the car to brush his hand lightly against Newton’s cheek before dropping it to his shoulder to shake him awake.

                “Mein liebling. We are here.”

                “Her…” Newton caught himself as he sat up suddenly awake as they both gave each other a look. “schon.” Hermann sighed as he covered quickly. _Hier Schon. Here already._ It was a bit sloppy but he was just waking up. If the car was bugged as suspected it would hopefully be dismissed. Hermann wished they knew for sure whether Chau had someone who could speak German on his team or not. It would make communication easier if they could speak a bit more freely but it could also backfire on them.

                “Ja, wir sind hier lieb.” _Yes, we are here dear._ Newton gave him a fleeting false smile before he simply nodded and climbed out of the car. Hermann took a second to steady his nerves before he followed suit, Newton waiting for him patiently by the walk leading into the lobby with the bag of food. Newton kept a steady distance between them as they stepped into the elevator as though he didn’t want to risk them touching on accident. It continued as they moved to the door of their suite and Hermann dug the key out to open it.  

                They moved around each other like closely orbiting celestial bodies, a measured space constantly between them, as they got the food spread out. The Chinese containers were spread out on the table and Hermann had gone to heat some water in the kettle when he realized that Newton had broken out of his gravitational field entirely and disappeared into a different area of the hotel room. The bathroom door was still open and Hermann frowned as he moved to peak into the bedroom to see if he wanted some tea. Newton stood next to the bed, shirt off but still held in his hands as Newton stared at the mirror attached to the wall. Hermann knew he should step back, give Newton his privacy, but he saw such a look of pain on Newton’s face that he couldn’t bring himself to do so.  

                “Newton?” Hermann watched him startle as he stepped further into the room and Newton gave a sad sort of laugh as he tried to act like he hadn’t been standing there that whole time. “Are you alright?” He could see how the octopi on both shoulders had their limbs reaching across Newton’s back like they were reaching for each other.

                “Yeah, just figured it’d be good to at least change shirts before we ate. Always feel a bit grimy after working all day,” Newton said as he looked around like he was trying to figure out where he’d left his shirt. Hermann stepped a little closer, reaching to take the shirt from him and Newton flushed as he realized he’d been holding it. He could hear Tendo’s voice telling him that he’d need to talk to Newton eventually. To discuss all the things that stood between them. Hermann wasn’t certain this was the correct moment but he could feel it crashing inside of him. “I…I shouldn’t have covered them up. _He_ wouldn’t have covered them up. He would have just worn them out the rest of the day to make a point.”

                “Newton, you cannot compare yourself to someone who doesn’t exist. You are _him_ , there have been some things that have changed since last time. Some differences in personality won’t be scrutinized as severely as you seem to think.” It had taken him a moment of confusion before he realized what Newton was saying. There was an unexpected sort of bitterness in Newton’s voice; a quietness that seemed a bit like self-loathing.

                “Just admit it. He wouldn’t have frozen up like I did. I froze, I freaked out a bit. You had to step in and that’s not okay, Hermann. I’m…he’s not supposed to be weak,” Newton tried to step around him then but Hermann put a hand on his chest to stop him. He purposefully didn’t grab Newton’s arm; Hermann had known that Newton wasn’t as unaffected as he acted about his injuries but there was a sharp edge to this now. He noticed for the first time that there were a few droplets of tattooed water spilling across his collar bone where some of the acid must have managed to land. _He shouldn’t just now be finding these things out. He only had himself to blame._

                “That is what I am here for, Newton. That is why we are here together. We have both had moments in the field where he have not acted in the way we later wish we had.” Newton wouldn’t meet his eyes, head turned away from Hermann who had to fight the desire to place a kiss against the exposed skin where his shoulder and neck met with a swirl of colors. He knew he couldn’t, that the last thing he should do right at this moment. He dropped his hand though Newton didn’t pull away immediately. Hermann should know all the places that Newton had been altered by the accident, should have spent the past year making certain the man knew it hadn’t made him lesser in any way instead of running from his own guilt.

                “So?” Hermann forced himself to look away from that sea full of freckled constellations and found Newton studying him out of the corner of his eyes. There was an expression Hermann wasn’t quite certain how to interpret on Newton’s face. It was almost like a dare; a challenge that Hermann didn’t fully understand. “How do they look?”

                “I meant it, you know, that every inch of you is just as beautiful as it had always been.” Hermann felt raw at that moment as he spoke quietly. Newton tilted his head to look at him more fully and it was Hermann who couldn’t meet Newton’s eyes this time and then the man was walking away from him. Hermann felt the brush of Newton’s fingertips across his knuckles as he stepped around him.

                “Liar.” Newton said the word on a whisper and Hermann closed his eyes for a second as he was left alone in the room. When he opened them again he found himself staring back in the mirror. When Hermann turned and stepped back out into the living space he found Newton had settled on the couch, shirt pulled back on despite his earlier insistence to change, and holding one of the cartons of food. “You get a feeling that the Scott guy want to say something to us a couple of time today?”

                “Yes, though whatever it was he never seemed to work up to sharing it. I tried to prompt him some while you were working,” Hermann spoke carefully with an unsteady feeling with this sudden shift. Newton could be unpredictable at times but this felt like a door being slammed in his face. “Newton…I think we-“

                “I mean, maybe he just felt like he had been a dick earlier in the day and had thought of apologizing. He is kind of an ass.” Hermann sat down next to Newton trying to get the man to look at him but they were avoiding gazes still it seemed.

                “Newton.”

                “Hopefully Chau will actually put in an order for some of the supplies we pushed for today. As soon as you’re able to get in to his files we’ll want to watch for anything that has popped up recently. He’ll be forced to pull from his high end suppliers to get replacements for some of that stock. He had some high end shit-“

                “Yes, but I think we should talk about-“

                “I’m going to have to get back up to speed with the process again. I was a bit slow-“       

                “Newt-“

                “And I have a feeling he’s going to really push for mo-“

                “Agent Geiszler!”

                “Just! Don’t! Don’t say shit like that. You don’t get to say shit like that when you’ve ignored my fucking existence for a year, _Agent Gottlieb._ So just, fuck you, okay dude? I didn’t want to argue tonight. I’m tired and I don’t need this shit right now because I thought I knew where we stood and then you go saying shit like that so no. It’s hard enough to fucking have you dote over me when I know it’s a fucking act. Just no. Not right now, maybe not ever. I’m going to go fucking shower.” Newton’s anger was sharp and heated like an electrical spark as he slammed the food container down on the table sending rice spilling everywhere. He sat there for a moment staring at it and Hermann wanted to reach out to him, to pull Newton to him and tell him that it _wasn’t an act_ but he didn’t react quickly enough. The moment passed and Newton was storming towards the bathroom as Hermann sat wondering what he had just wrought with his careless actions.

 

                It had been too much. It had been too much of what he wanted and it had sparked every bit of the hurt and confused anger inside of him. He hadn’t wanted to fight, he hadn’t wanted to talk about it. Newton had wanted a night that felt like they were back in normal territory. He was sitting under the spray, just letting it hit him as he attempted to wash away so many things from the day. He was confused, hurt, elated but most of all Newton was tired. And this was only their first legit day on the job. They had two more months and it was a funeral dirge instead of a three piece love song. Sluggish and painful as they dragged themselves along behind all the things that apparently could have been over this last year.

                The thing that hurt the most he been how Hermann had said it. He’d used Morgenstern’s words; not his own. Newton knew in the end it was the same things, Hermann was saying those things, but if he had just…maybe not used the same words he’d used in the restaurant as Morgenstern. It felt like a lie when he used those same words; it had felt like the act and not the truth. He sat for a long time because he was a bit afraid to go out and face Hermann again after yelling at him. That hadn’t been right either, Newton shouldn’t have yelled but it had felt too overwhelming and Hermann hadn’t just let him ignore it like he wanted to.

                Newton eventually made himself get out of the shower when even the hotel water heater seemed to fail to keep a cold edge from creeping into the spray. He dressed back into his clothes from the day when he realized he hadn’t brought his sweats in with him and sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. When he finally stepped out of the bathroom he did so cautiously to try and gauge where Hermann was. He saw him pretty much right away, sitting on the edge of the bed seemingly lost in thought. Hermann looked up at him, straightening and giving Newton a look like he was bracing himself. All that anger was burned out of Newton now though, he didn’t have it in him.

                He was too tired. He was tired from a year of trying to act like he was strong enough not to be affected by what had happened. He was tired from a year of wondering what he had done wrong to make Hermann cut him out. Tired from a long day full of aching bruises of the past being poked and prodded. Hermann watched him silently as Newton walked across the room and came to sit beside him on the edge of the bed feeling empty.

                “I am sorry, Newton.”

                “Yeah…yeah, me too.” Newton rested his arm between them, palm turned up as he focused on the small things. The muffled sound of cars way down below on the street, the drip of water from his hair into the collar of his shirt, Hermann’s hand finding his and their fingers twining together. “I think I need some sleep. It’s been a long day…”

                “Yes, it has been.” The tick of the hotel grade alarm clock on the nightstand, the refrigerator kicking to life out in the small kitchen, the feel of Hermann’s thumb gently caressing the back of his hand, even cautious not to stray too near the tattoo hidden scars. “Newton…we will need to talk about this.”

                “I know…just maybe not tonight…” The uncomfortable feel of clothes worn too long, the tension in his shoulders weighing him down, Hermann’s quiet sigh and the creak of the bed as he shifted to stand though their hands stayed interlocked a little longer.

                “No, not tonight. But soon. You should get ready for bed, Newt, we will have another early morning tomorrow.” Hermann let go then and Newton felt untethered even though he knew that Hermann was just going to shower. To get ready for bed himself. Newton changed though instead of the sleeveless shirt he’d worn the last couple of night he pulled on a sweatshirt. By the time Hermann finished in the shower Newton had curled up in bed. Quiet footsteps, his name whispered so softly it could have been a dream, a light clicking off and leaving them in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't originally going to have the confrontation between Newton and Hermann in this chapter but it seemed to flow best with Newton reacting to Chau's attention to his tattoos. Hermann, of course, is oblivious to the fact that using the same words he used while 'acting' as Morgenstern may be part of the reason Newton gets upset with him. And, of course, they haven't really solved much of anything. 
> 
> Krokodile is a real drug, do not do Krokodile my friends. It will mess you up. I learned about it in a toxicology class and the gangrene thing is exactly what it does. Do not google it unless you really want to see some disturbing images. It is, however, in part what I was thinking of when I thought up this AU as to the level of dangerous K-Blue is supposed to be. The other part of the equation is the fact that Kaiju Blue in the movie could be deadly as well and part of why they attempted to avoid using things like giant swords during in the cities where people could be exposed to it. (You know, at least in the first movie).


	4. I feel the Tempo in my veins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first week passes as they fall into an uneasy schedule. There is still an unsteadiness but they are making progress despite Newton's high strung nerves and Hermann's regret. After a day full of successes and high tension they finally talk. Nothing gets fixed in a day but it may be a start.

               It seemed that undercover work came with two modes. It either raced past at a startling pace or it dragged itself out in a melancholy march. The past week had been the race but they had settled staunchly into that march now as the second week began. The fast pace of the previous seven days had made it so they returned to the room exhausted and spent each night. Newton had been avoiding much of any conversation in the evenings though Hermann had a feeling it had more to do with his desire not to discuss their feelings. Hermann was watching him now; chatting idly with Scott at the work bench as Hermann sat off to the side on his computer.

                His computer was running trials on Chau’s network; he’d activated the code when he was fairly certain Scott was distracted enough not to question what was on his screen. Hermann’s code would try and find him the best approach to then probing and breaking down the firewalls and passcodes needed to get through to the main network and Chau’s personal computer. Newton was serving as his distraction which was rather difficult. Scott had less interest in Newton’s chemical reactions than he seemed to have in Hermann’s coding and hacking abilities. Really, Scott actually seemed to have a decent grasp on it all though with an unrefined eye. It spoke of a higher level of intelligence than Scott seemed to display and Hermann was convinced much about the man was an act. He would be far from the only one playing a part to get where he needs to be. It was a shame that the young man’s goal appeared to be entrenched in the underground.

                The door to the lab opened and Hermann did his best to keep his face neutral as Chau entered with a couple of his men. Hermann shifted carefully to cover the screen with his cipher to the background behind some banal back account information. He could see Newton tense up immediately at the man’s presence, back going a bit straighter as he dropped whatever joke he’d been telling to Scott.

                “Scott, we’ve made contact for the deal. I wanted you to come along with us, you do cut a more intimidating figure than Matt here.” Scott had tensed up as well at Chau’s presence and he gave a terse nod of his head at this. Chau had clapped one of his men on the shoulder who Hermann assumed was ‘Matt’. Matt didn’t seem all that happy to being compared to Scott in that moment as he glowered at the man. “How are we doing in here, Doc? From what I’ve heard your product is currently selling like hot cakes.”

                “Ha, did you ever have any doubt?” Newton said with a grin as he carefully measured out one of his ingredients. Hermann frowned as Chau stepped close to him, a hand resting on the small of Newton’s back as Chau feigned interest in what he was doing. Chau had been testing them all week in small little ways and he seemed to have picked up on Newton’s opposition to being touched as a trigger point for them both. Hermann typically managed to be more restrained in his responses; terse words and reminders to keep his hands to himself. Newton waffled between frozen moments where he didn’t quite manage to hide that tense fear and a dark threatening anger that Hermann felt may not entirely be an act itself.

                “Oh, I did. I had quite a few doubts,” Chau said low and mocking as Newton stood frozen in place for a moment though there was that vibrating energy coming off of him. Newton finally seemed to gather himself as he looked up at Chau, unable to stand up straight to meet his eye entirely with the nearness of the man.

                “Do you mind?” Newton said the words between his teeth as Hermann watched the smile come to Chau’s lips. It was all a power play and though Hermann would never say it out loud to another soul, Newton was their weak link. Newton carried his emotions on his sleeve now more than ever and Chau was working on finding every way he could to dig into that. Hermann was having a difficult time wheeling in his own emotions as his hands fisted in his lap.

                “Oh, I don’t mind at all,” Chau said with a slight purr.

                “I do mind so if you would please before I decide not to remind my husband to show restraint towards our business partners. Or even worse, forget that rule myself,” Hermann said icily as grabbed his cane to stand up as he closed the laptop so no curious eyes could look too closely. Chau’s hand pulled away from Newton though it came to rest on the pistol the man carried on his hip like a reminder. Newton and Hermann still weren’t allowed to be inside the warehouse armed; another power play on Chau’s behalf. 

                “Should we get going, boss?” Scott was the one that spoke up and Hermann said a quiet prayer of gratitude to the man. Chau lingered for a second before flashing another one of those sharp smiles that were meant to put them in their place before turning towards the door.

                “Matt will be keeping an eye on you two gentlemen for the rest of the day. I’ll be seeing you later.” Chau said it over his shoulder, a hand lifted in a dismissive wave. Scott met Hermann’s eyes for a second and gave him a discreet nod before turning to follow the others out of the room.

 

                A week had passed and they were falling into the expected routine. The tempo was a bit more erratic than he liked given Chau’s random visits that always seemed to end in touching somehow. Newton’s skin still crawled a bit at the memory of the man’s hand on the small of his back and he had to shove it down hard as he poured the next ingredient into the flask he had on the stir plate. Things were settling though, Newton repeated it to himself as though he could make it the truth. _Well, things are more settled as far as the job goes…._

 Hermann was sitting off to his right, a presence he was ever aware of despite the distance that parted them, as Newton worked on another batch of K-Blue. He knew that Hermann was working on trying to find a backdoor into Chau’s network to where he’d hopefully be able to get access to the information they needed. Chau’s present had likely been a bit of a hitch there too as Hermann had slammed the laptop closed before trying to help get Chau to back off. Newton swallowed roughly and had to force himself to focus on something else as the memory of the man’s hand resting on the grip of his gun came to the front of his mind.

                Chau’s guy, Matt, had been pacing around since he’d been left behind by the group earlier. It was grating on Newton’s nerves but he’d managed to hold it in since the guy seemed mainly focused on him. It meant Hermann was getting to do his actual job without having to be as concerned about someone spotting what he was doing. Scott had actually become almost pleasant over the last few days but he had tended to keep a keen eye on both of them and not just Newton.

                “Can you stop wandering around like your some sort of caged animal, dude?” Newton glanced up at Matt as he actually started to wander towards Hermann’s side of the lab for once. Newton’s job was to make sure the Hermann was able to do his work without having them realize just what he was doing. Newton was the distraction and if there was anything Newton could manage well it was being a distraction. “What’s your deal anyway? Does Chau really still think we need a fucking babysitter?”

                “This isn’t exactly my idea of a picnic either, asshole,” Matt snapped with irritation as he turned back in Newton’s direction to stop in front of his work table. _Well, someone’s mad they weren’t chosen for the A-team._ “But it’s pretty clear that Chau doesn’t trust you or your little boy toy to be wandering around.” Matt was looking down at all the glassware and mixed chemicals with a fear typically reserved for things like witchcraft and nuclear power as he said this. He startled when Newton began laughing hard enough that he needed to pull his gloves off so he could wipe at his eyes.

                “You think _Morgonstern’s_ my boy toy? _Him_? Oh buddy…” Newton pointed towards Hermann with an incredulous look as Matt frowned at him.

                “K, please,” Hermann said with a heavy tone of distaste in his voice as he glared at them both from over the computer. Matt had stopped staring at Newton’s work to stare at him instead and Newton tried to pull himself together. Maybe he was a bit manic at the moment, maybe having Chau looming too close after already dealing with a week of tense days in the lab followed by carefully dodged discussions of very real feelings in the evenings. Hermann gave a long suffering sigh as he tried to focus at his computer with a shake of his head as the man looked between them with confusion.

                “Yeah, him. He’s like…your twinkie or whatever.” Newton started to laugh again and even Hermann gave a soft snort at this as the man looked a bit amused.

                “Ok, just stop, alright. We get it, you’re hetero, but like google the word or something before you start throwing that around in public, dude,” Newt let the mirth fall out of his voice a bit as he continued, “Or even better just don’t make broad dumb assumptions about other people’s relationships.” Newton ignored the look of annoyed embarrassment Matt was giving him for making fun of his attempts to categorize them and shook his head as he reached to grab a fresh pair of gloves. Newton took a deep breath to try and steady himself as Matt started to pace around him once more in an even moodier fashion than before. Newton tried really hard to just focus on his work but it wasn’t going to happen at this point. They hadn’t been kept under such heavy surveillance when they’d done the Gigan job. “Really, though, dude. Stop pacing around the place. Scott usually finds somewhere to perch and just relaxes. I don’t want you accidentally bumping the table one of these times you lurk past. If I have to start all over again it’s gonna be your fucking problem, okay?”

                “You know, the boss might put up with your shit-“

                “Chau does not put up with my husband’s predilection towards confrontation, I believe you have seen that yourself, however K is correct. If you disturb his work in any way that either compromises it or _him_ it will be your fucking problem. Please sit down and find some way to occupy yourself so I may be able to get some work done. I have clients waiting on outcomes,” Hermann said as he sat up a bit straighter to give them both a look over the top of his glasses. Matt looked about ready to argue but he glanced between Hermann and Newton a few times before grumbling and walking over to pull a chair up and sit a short distance away from them. Hermann had saved him again; Hermann was constantly saving Newton from himself.

                “Thank you, darling.” Hermann caught Newton’s eye and gave him a light frown that seemed equal parts concern and reprimand. Newton shrugged a little before dropping his eyes back down to his work and huffed lightly. So, maybe he hadn’t been the best sort of distraction. “So, uh, always assumed Scott got stuck with us because he was low man on the totem pole. You fuck up somehow and get knocked down in his place?” Newton tried to push any of that remaining tone out of his voice that he got in trouble for so often.

                “Nah, boss needed a little extra muscle and that’s about all Scott’s got. I’m more the brains of the operations.” Matt kicked his feet up on another one of the chairs as he leaned back. Newton had a hard time believing that this guy was the brains of _anything_ really. He even could bring himself to feel a bit offended on Scott’s behalf at the clear attempt at an insult. Whatever this different job was though sounded like it could be important and Newton tried to gauge his chances for getting information out of Matt.

                “Chau busting a dealer’s knee caps or something? Making some drifter pay up?” Hermann’s typing slowed for a moment as Newton carefully decanted some of the liquid off his distillation so he could get the next step started. He’d be done in another hour or so if things went right. Upon Newton carefully pouring the decanted liquid into his main reaction the contents swirled into that bright blue color of the Kaiju Blue for a brief moment.

                “Boss doesn’t handle that sort of petty stuff. He has other people he sends out for all of that. He’s, uh, broadening his horizons into some other areas of consumerism,” Matt said as he tapped something into his phone sounding distracted and bored. Newton frowned lightly back down at his reaction as the stir bar strummed with a whine inside the flask and the liquid turned clear again. He poured a little more of the decanted ammonia into the reaction and it flared blue again.

                “Like, different drugs? Anything synthesized cause I could help out with that too.” Hermann’s typing stopped entirely for a few moments as he leaned to riffle through his bag to pull out a memory stick. Newton watched him quietly for a second as Hermann carefully plugged the USB drive in as discreetly as he could. The guy was still staring down at his phone and wasn’t paying them much attention at all. The solution went clear again. Newton poured a bit more in. Pulsing blue; the stir stick jumped slightly as he shifted the flask’s position just a little.

                “Nah, not drugs. Something different that’s none of your business.” Newton’s glasses had slipped a bit and he tried to shift them back into position with his forearm; careful not to touch his face with his gloves. White sleeves were buttoned up into place; tattoos still hidden away. He only managed to knock his glasses further askew but it was time to add more ammonia to the solution. Matt stood up again, pacing for a second before heading back over to the table to watch Newton add the next dose of ammonia. The solution was starting to stay that brilliant blue for a bit longer now with each bit. “Why not just dump it all in?”

                “Why not just dump the entire container of sugar into your coffee? You don’t want to over saturate it. That’s how you kill people.”

                “You realize even your version of Blue kills people right? It’s inevitable. The Drifters eventually take more and more and someday they take a bit too much or take it in just the wrong sort of situation and suddenly,” the guy made a slicing motion across his neck with his finger. Newton glared at him for a moment though he was at the critical point where he had to pay close attention to get just the right levels added. Another five millimeters poured. And wait.

                “The goal is to have a product that’s less likely to kill off your clientele. Living drifters are paying drifters. Paying drifters mean having lavish rooms in fancy hotels where you can spend luxurious nights with your boy toy.” Another. Swirl of blue fading through the rest of the liquid. Newton carefully added a couple more drops and it stabilized into that brilliant blue throughout and he gave a sigh as he smiled up at the man.

                “Thought you said he wasn’t your boy toy.”

                “I am not. K is the closest thing to a boy toy in this room and I do enjoy my luxurious nights with him,” Hermann said from over at the table and Newton felt his cheeks go hot. Matt looked between them with a clear sense of hesitation to comment on this any further before just choosing to veer right of the conversation.

                “So, is it done? This the final stuff you put in your little pills?” Newton batted his hand away when he reached to poke at the flask and tsked angrily.

                “No touching, that has to sit for at least ten minutes undisturbed. And there’s a few minor steps after this; filtering and purifying before I can start injecting the pill casings. So no, it’s not done. Have you never paid attention to how K-Blue is made before or are you just new, dude?” Matt seemed to be seriously contemplating poking at the flask a second time. Newton felt a bit of panic grip tightly in his chest that had already been tangled up with that knot of anxiety from before. _Chemicals and burning skin._ He pointed a gloved finger at the guy with a warning look. “Do it and I swear you’ll be drinking that entire fucking flask even if it means I start a new batch.”

                “K…liebling…” Hermann’s voice came from somewhere close besides him and Newton blinked as he was pressed gently back down into his chair. Newt became aware of the fact that Matt had taken a step back looking deeply troubled as he held his hands up in apology. Newton swallowed, tongue feeling dry and swollen in his mouth, panic drumming his heart beat loud and fast in his ears. _Get a hold of yourself Geiszler. What the hell is wrong with you?_ He was supposed to be good at this, had been good at this. _A splash, a scream._ Newton scratched absently at his right arm though the sleeve of his shirt as he let Hermann adjust his glasses back into place. As some of that adrenaline diluted itself throughout his system Newton found himself feeling alarmed and a bit sheepish. That had maybe been a little, tiny bit of an actual over reaction. Even if it had been knocked over, which he doubted the guy was intending to do, the K-Blue in its current form wouldn’t have burned his skin. He wouldn’t have wanted it on him for long but it wouldn’t have done physical damage.

                “Sorry, darling. I lost my temper,” Newton said to Hermann who was giving him a concerned frown as he smoothed his hands down along Newton’s shoulders. “Sorry.” Newton directed this one to Matt who just nodded though he had retreated back to his chair. Matt was watching him like he thought that Newton was insane.  

                “Why don’t you come sit next to me while you wait for the Blue to rest? You can spare the few moments to take a break, ja?” Hermann cupped his hand against Newton’s jaw and Newton tilted his head up to look at him and meet his eyes. Newton hesitated though really sitting beside Hermann would likely help calm him down some. Even just Hermann’s hands on his shoulders was making Newton feel a bit more grounded and it also brought to the forefront of Newton’s mind that he really really wanted to kiss Hermann. Newton licked his lips unconsciously as he stared at Hermann’s for just a second longer before responding.

                “Yeah, I can spare a bit of time for you darling,” Newton finally managed to say. They were technically K and Morgonstern just then, it wouldn’t technically be more than that, but it would. And that wouldn’t be fair of him, it would be hypocritical of him, and would just stir all those complicated painful issues up all over again right when they needed to _not_ be having those things come to the surface. He gave Hermann a smile instead as he felt Hermann’s thumb caress along his cheek just before he pulled away with a nod. Maybe it really was time for them to have that talk.

                Newton glanced towards their company but Matt was back to being enthralled with his phone so Newton scooted his chair over by where Hermann had been working. Hermann waited for him to be situated besides him before he clicked off the screen he’d pulled up to cover his actual work. Newton hesitated for just a moment and then let his head rest against Hermann’s shoulder as he glanced over the screen. _Hermann had found something._ Newton kept his features as neutral as he could, did his best not to act as though he was too interested in his work. What appeared to be Hannibal Chau’s emails popped up on the screen with a number of coded subject lines. Hermann clicked on a couple specifically and Newton saw what looked like communications about some of the supplies they’d requested a week ago.

                Newton turned his head so it would look like he was pressing a kiss to Hermann’s shoulder as he whispered to him.  He maybe actually pressed a kiss there which seemed to momentarily fluster Hermann. Hermann being flustered in this setting just meant he paused for a moment, cheeks going just a little pink as he glanced down at him. Newton couldn’t help but marvel at Hermann’s lashes.

                “You’re amazing.” Hermann gave a quiet noise of amusement and pride as he clicked through a few other screens. Newton settled against Hermann again as he kept watch on their baby sitter who seemed determined to avoid actually looking towards them in case they were being affectionate with each other. Hermann finished downloading what he could onto the USB drive. There was a lot more he’d have to do, everything was coded and they’d have to try and figure out just who was on the other end of the communications. Still, it was a start and so far no one was rushing in demanding to know what Hermann was doing accessing their emails.

                Newton sighed when he glanced at his watch and knew he needed to get back to his reaction. He felt a bit more even keeled though he knew that anxiety still lingered beneath his surface. It didn’t just go away like that though it had at least eased up on himself. Newton sat up straighter and stretched as Hermann ejected the thumb drive, hand carefully and quickly pulling it from the computer to tuck it into his pocket while Newton was blocking Mr. Boy Toy’s view. Though they could excuse it as part of Morgonstern’s work it would still be best if they didn’t get questioned about it. Hermann patted his knee when it was ok for Newton to move away and he reluctantly scooted his chair back towards the work table.

                Newton forced himself to focus back on the work of the finishing steps of making the K-Blue. He had to fight down some of that high strung energy still but sitting and seeing that Hermann had made the first real progress since they’d started this all helped keep him a bit more centered. Some of that was knocked just off kilter as Newton felt someone hovering. He finished with the last filtration and glanced up to find Matt watching him closely. Newton rolled his eyes as he looked back down at his work and finished letting the solution run through the filter.

                “Now do you fill the pills?”

                “Yes, now I fill the pills. What is your deal?” Newton said with a huff, setting the empty flask aside as he leveled a look at the guy. “Are you critiquing my work? Are you making sure magical elves aren’t sneaking in to do it for me?” That earned him a sneer as Matt leaned a little closer than was comfortable; Newton saw Matt’s eyes flicker over in Hermann’s direction as though checking if he was watching. _They recognize you’re the weaker one._

                “I look forward to the day you piss Chau off enough he guts you.” Matt spoke low and quiet in a clear attempt to keep Hermann from hearing him. Newton pulled back a little feeling a momentary twist in his gut as though an invisible knife was twisting there. Despite the fact that this was the first day Hermann had really gotten a chance to do his real work Newton would be a bit happy if Scott was back the next day. Newton forced himself to stay still, to not tap an anxious beat out on the table as he reminded himself of _who_ he was supposed to be just in that moment. Because he wasn’t supposed to be weak.

                “Oh, I think you’ll be waiting quite a long, long time for that. I’d be careful drinking in the lab in the future, by the way, never know when something may end up in your drink on accident.” Newton gave a smile that was maybe a bit too sharp. He hoped that Matt wouldn’t be able to tell that it was because of his nerves and not as a punctuation to the threat. It seemed to have the right affect though as Matt dropped his eyes to the table with that same look of unease and concern he’d had earlier.

                “Is everything alright?” Hermann’s voice came from over where he’d been sitting and Matt seemed to take that as his cue to start along his circular route once more.

                “Everything is fine, darling, just giving Matt some lab safety tips,” Newton called over his shoulder as he grabbed the pill casings and his molds so he could start pipetting the Blue. The sooner they were done for the day the better. They could go back to the hotel, order room service and Newton would once more attempt to figure out how to have a conversation with Hermann about the fact that Newton really wanted to kiss him but at the same time kept feeling incredibly angry at him. There was every chance he’d just find a way to avoid it once more though. 

                _You’re just avoiding him the way he avoided you._ Newton’s little voice of reason was a bit of a bitch sometimes. It was usually accurate but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a bit of a bitch. Well, Hermann had avoided him for an entire year so Newton was pretty damn certain he could squeeze out a little bit longer. _All you’re doing is being petty and denying yourself._ His inner voice chastised him as Hermann stepped up next to the table. Newton pressed down on the molds to let them seal the pills closed as Hermann watched him and Newton could feel his cheeks growing a bit warm at the attention.

                “I think it would be best if we headed straight back to the hotel room tonight rather than pick up dinner on the way?” Newton glanced up at Hermann for a second while the mold and hot plate did their thing.

                “I was thinking the same thing,” Newton said just a bit more flirtatiously than he normally would as he saw Matt in the background. The guy instantly looked uncomfortable and Newton grinned happily. Hermann seemed a little surprised by the response at first until he realized where Newton’s focus was. Newton felt a moment of nerves as he actually gave thought to why Hermann would want to head straight back to the room. It was probably just because they had something to actually pass on to the team, not that he intended to push for that conversation Newton’s internal dialogue was warning him had to happen eventually.

                “Come on and finish up will you. I’d rather be anywhere else than this,” Matt said as he motioned with his hands for Newton to wrap it up. Newton may have taken a bit more time slowly popping the pills out of the mold while giving him a pointed look. Hermann tutted at him after a few seconds and started helping Newton along to get him moving at a normal pace. Matt held a middle finger up to Newton behind Hermann’s back and Newton decided he’d personally be the one to arrest Matt. Return that gesture after putting the guy in handcuffs.

 

                “We’ll have to try and decode most of it but we should be able to start in on a list of suppliers from what I could tell. Chau and his men continue to be rather confrontational and suspicious of us so we’re going to have to be extra careful. I was hoping they would have eased off once we had been hired.” Hermann was on the phone talking with Herc this time. They’d have to transfer the information he pulled from Chau over so that it could be fully analyzed by the team while Hermann continued to try and gather more. Newton was loitering nearby with the room service that had just been dropped off a while ago; setting it up for them on the small dining table.

                “Good job. Just keep being cautious and try not to let Geiszler antagonize them too much. Choi told me he’d been a bit aggressive a few times. I know he’s playing his part but Chau’s men are a step up from anyone you’ve dealt with before, Agent Gottlieb.” Herc’s voice carried through the phone and Newton made a face as he clearly overheard. Hermann gave him what felt like the hundredth disapproving look of the day as he tried to focus on their supervising officer instead.

                “We both understand that we are part of a careful balancing act in our present situation. Things have mostly fallen into a routine where the days pass relatively peacefully. The only times we’ve truly had issues is when Chau chooses to pay us a visit himself otherwise we’ve been mainly dealing with the young man, Scott. He is far less antagonizing than the rest though he’s been around us the most. There is definitely something going on behind the scenes right now though. The man who was watching us today mentioned another business venture outside of the drug dealing though he was tight lipped on just what that venture is.” Newton had finished setting the food up and he came to sit down next to Hermann on the couch with a flop that somewhat disturbed his own position. Hermann watched closely as Newton tugged at his sleeves, pulling them down when the tattoos peeked out for a moment.

                “We’ll have to see if we can try and pick up on any talk about what he might be up to. If it doesn’t related to the K-Blue though leave it for now. We need to be focused on the things we already know we can get him on and not reach for something we may not have any real pull on. We’ll contact you in the morning to get a place set up to transfer the USB over so some of our guys can work on things over here too. Tomorrow is still Dr. K’s day off from cooking, right?”

                “Yep! A day free….finally.” Newton said the last word under his breath as he shifted closer to Hermann so he could tuck his legs up under himself. Herc clearly heard the first part as he gave a quiet sigh on the other end of the phone. Hermann sighed as well as Newton fussed at him to hold the phone closer to that he could be part of the conversation too. It ended up with Newton leaning in against Hermann, phone pressed awkwardly between them.   

                “Clearly what I’ve heard about him being back to his normal self is accurate. You two keep a low profile tomorrow, we’ll figure out the best time to have you do the drop off and then we’ll get to work on what you’ve found so far,” Herc said and if Hermann wasn’t mistaken he heard just a hint of fondness in their supervisor’s voice as well. “Have you gotten any further with the dossier of his inner circle?”

                “Not much but we’ve identified a few of the other individuals we’ve seen. We’re mainly kept confined to the lab space but I may be able to find a way to gain access to some of the other areas of the warehouse. Being watched as closely as we have been photographs haven’t been an option just yet.” Newton had stilled a little besides Hermann as he spoke though the man couldn’t help the drumming of his fingers on Hermann’s knee. Newton seemed exceedingly high strung today but given his determination to avoid discussing anything with Hermann lately he couldn’t quite get a read on why that was. Chau hadn’t helped the situation and Hermann found his own hand dropping to rest against Newton’s back for a moment as though reclaiming that spot from Chau’s touch.

                “Well, we’ll be taking their picture when we bring them in. For now just try to get names and see what familiar faces are around from our previous intel. I’ve got to go and get some of these damn reports signed off on. I’ll fill the others in and we’ll talk to you tomorrow, Agent Gottlieb.”

                “Yes sir.” Hermann hung up the phone as Newton gave a roll of his eyes and peeled himself back up off the couch in an exaggerated manner. “You do realize that reporting back to our team is an important part of our job, Agent Geiszler?” Hermann reprimanded Newton as he stood up with a stretch; the smell of the food was making his mouth water. Depending on when they started their day they often didn’t get much of a chance to eat. Newton would be running his reactions while Hermann had been working to get through the security on Chau’s network. Some of those measures had clearly been put into place specifically because of him; measures meant to ensure that anyone on the local connection couldn’t access files they weren’t supposed to be able to reach. Chau’s email had been a start but Hermann was hardly satisfied with that small stone he’d managed to turn even with Newton’s praise earlier in the day.

                “We could have eaten first, dude. I’m actually starving to death,” Newton said as he pulled out a chair absently for Hermann before sitting down in the one across from it. Hermann smiled a little at the courteous gesture as he sat and took in a deep breath to relish the scent of freshly made food. Granted, the room service food was hardly anything to write home about but they were unlikely to eat much of anything homemade while on assignment even with the small kitchen in the suite.

                Newton tucked into the food as Hermann took a more civilized approach to eating while eyeing his partner. He’d tried several times over the past week, ever since that blow up after their first real day, to talk to Newton about things between them. He didn’t want to push after seeing that raw damaging emotion that had seemed to tear out of Newton but they couldn’t just ignore it either. And with this high strung nervous energy that seemed to be winding Newton up at the moment he worried it’d lead to another outburst like he’d had earlier in the day. Hermann had always been able to tell when a threat Newton threw out was simply part of his act as Dr. K. The threat to force the man to drink the flask of K-Blue had felt frighteningly real in the moment even to him.

                “Newton, I feel we need to talk about earlier.” Newton paused to look up at him and Hermann caught a flicker of…something move across his features. “I think we should perhaps talk about a lot of things given that we have a bit of time tonight.” Newton sat back in his chair a little more with a soft frown on his face as Hermann braced to be brushed off. “Please.” Newton dropped his eyes down at the table, tugged at his shirt sleeves again before glancing around the room looking a little like he was lost.

                “I did get a little…” Newton gave a light laugh that seemed tense and a bit hollow, “intense, I guess. I think the day away from that place will help though, I think I’m just feeling a bit pent up and having him stalking around like that it made me nervous, I guess.” Newton motioned in the air with his hand as though he was trying to process his own feelings into the proper words. Hermann made certain his eyes didn’t drop to the hint of Newton’s tattoos that managed to creep into view. Newton had been nervous and Hermann knew exactly what had set him off when he’d seen the man reach towards the flask of K-Blue Newton had been working on. Really, Hermann should have seen it coming given Newton’s high level of nerves since that morning and the way the man had been antagonizing him. “I’ve been a bit intense this whole time, huh?”

                Hermann blinked as Newton actually looked a bit sheepish as he made the comment. It was true, Newton was perhaps playing Dr. K as being a bit quicker at throwing a thinly veiled to outright threat than he had been in Gigan. There were circumstance that lent to that though and Hermann couldn’t stop himself from glancing down at Newton’s wrist were a tiny sliver of the tattoos were showing. Newton noticed and tugged at them again, pulling the cuffs down over his wrists and balling his fists on the table. Hermann had to keep himself from reaching out, from trying to smooth that tension from Newton’s hands.  

                “I was a little intense then too, huh?” Hermann looked back up and caught Newton’s eyes on him. There was a sort of resignation on Newton’s face as he took a deep breath. “Last time we talked I was maybe a little intense, right?”

                “It was understandable. You had every right to be upset…my own behavior over this last year isn’t excusable,” Hermann said gently. “My own behavior last week wasn’t excusable either.”  Newton broke their eye contact, turning slightly to stare off towards the kitchen as though he couldn’t look at Hermann. There were tears in Newton’s eyes and that broke Hermann’s heart; if Newton kept breaking his heart with these vulnerable and painful moments Hermann would only have the shattered remains left to give him. Even if all he had left of his heart was a single sliver he’d still give it to Newton.

                “Yeah, you’re right…it isn’t.” Hermann blinked rapidly as he felt his own vision go a bit blurry at that bitterness that had found its way into Newton’s voice again. Hermann tried taking a sip of his drink and found it tasted bland and flat in his mouth as he attempted to find the words to explain.  

                “I am sorry. I was careless in so many ways. When you got hurt protecting me…it frightened me that you were willing to take that risk for me. Rather than face what had happened and the reasons for it I pulled away. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if you…had you suffered even more severe consequences.” Hermann couldn’t read Newton’s expression as the man eyed him; it appeared confrontational but there was a softness behind it that he wasn’t quite certain how to decode.

                “I think, you know, that I just had this whole like idea in my head. I thought that maybe we’d have this whole thing being back on a job together and that you’d forgive me for whatever the hell I’d done that made you practically ignore me for a year even though I was _right fucking there._ And then to hear you say it was all just because….” Newton seemed to struggle for words again and he motioned at himself, at his arms. “I can’t _not_ be mad at you for that. I can’t stop being mad that an entire year I thought I’d done something wrong. I had to deal with all this, Hermann, I _had_ to.”

                “I know,” Hermann said quietly. Hermann made himself meet Newton’s eyes even though it was nearly impossible to face the man’s raw emotion. Newton was looking at him desperately, angrily. “And I should have been there. You should never have been made to feel like you had done something wrong. Once I managed to come to terms with my own fears I had wanted to reach out but…to be honest by that point I felt as though I didn’t deserve that chance to just try and step back into that space.”

                Newton gave a breathy bitter sounding laugh at this as he drummed for a moment at the table. They sat there in silence for a while, Hermann feeling flayed open as Newton sat staring off towards the kitchen with an indignant look on his face. When Newton finally stood, pushing his chair back with a bit more force than was necessary Hermann closed his eyes in acceptance. He had been the one to do this, he’d been the one to pull away and though he’d had a hope that he could repair things it was becoming clear that he may have lost his chance. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he kept his eyes closed tight against the tears.

                “Hey.” Hermann startled at the sound of Newton’s voice close to his left. Hermann opened his eyes and turned to find Newton standing there. He had lost his button up shirt so he was standing in his sleeveless undershirt with his arms held out towards Hermann to display the tattoos. Newton’s stance and expression both were a challenge, an aggressive dare for Hermann to not look at the evidence of that terrible moment that wasn’t nearly long enough ago to not be fresh in Hermann’s mind. _Newton pushing in front of him, shoving the man’s arms aside before he could toss the acid only for it to spill over the two men. Newton’s screams like a knife to Hermann’s soul._

                “What made you choose cephalopods and invertebrates?” Hermann kept his eyes trained on Newton’s face for just a moment before he looked down at the tattoos. Hermann moved slowly, giving Newton the chance to pull away if he wished, before he took Newton’s wrist in his hand so he could gently turn his arm to see more of the detailed swirls of ink. Newton flinched just a little and Hermann glanced upward again to find Newton looking away from him seeming shier than before.

                “Figured in another life I might have been a marine biologist. Always was kind of fascinated by them.” Hermann could hear Newton’s nerves and tears in his voice and he dropped his attention back to the tattoos. They were finely done, the details on each aquatic creature crisp and beautiful. Hermann kept that same careful pace as he moved to trace along an octopi’s arm that ran down Newton’s forearm.

                “I did not know that.” Newton’s arm tensed but didn’t pull away from his touch. Hermann could tell that Newton was watching him closely, was studying him to try and gauge how Hermann would react to the fact that he could feel the rise and fall of scars under that ink.

                “Yeah, did a whole thesis on the learning patterns of octopi for my second PhD.” It was something Newton would normally have said with a boastful tone but he was quiet and subdued then. Newton spoke as though it was some inconsequential thing and not something that had been enough of a part of him he’d clearly believed he’d pursue it as his life goal once upon a time. Hermann tried to catch Newton’s eyes as he trailed his palm back up along his arm and pulled him a little closer. “I’m not going to just forget that I’m mad at you.”

                “I do not expect you to. I would like to ask for the chance to try and make up for the time I wasted, however. Only if you are alright with it though. I completely understand if you would prefer we go back to being colleagues only. I will respect your wishes,” Hermann said; hands stilling in place and loosening as he gave Newton the option to pull away from him. Hermann steeled himself for Newton’s response; tried to prepare himself for that final blow to his hopes. If Newton rejected him he would accept it with grace, would not do anything that would make Newton feel he had to reconsider. He wanted Newton to make the choice on his own.

                “God, you’re a fucking idiot, dude,” Newton said with a huff as he pulled away. It was harsher than Hermann had expected. Despite his attempts he wasn’t quite able to keep the tears from welling up and he bowed his head to keep them hidden. “Hey.” Newton’s tattoos came back into sight as he cupped Hermann’s cheeks, tilting Hermann’s head up so that he had to look at Newton with blurred vision. “I didn’t mean it like that…I…” Hermann frowned in confusion as Newton made a little noise of frustration as he seemed to struggle to find the words again.

                Hermann sat frozen in place when Newton seemed to give up on saying what he was trying to say and instead crushed his lips against Hermann’s. Hermann wasn’t able to stop the soft sob that broke loose as he parted his lips which seemed like the permission Newton had been looking for as he pressed even further into the kiss. Hermann’s hands found Newton’s waist, pulling him close as Hermann leaned back in the chair so Newton was standing between his knees. He could feel some of those old fears rising up; the risks that this brought, how much more deeply it would hurt if something happened. It didn’t matter nearly as much as this though; having the taste of Newton on his tongue, the feel of him so close. Nothing mattered nearly as much as this and Hermann knew he would take this risks and more in exchange for the chance to earn Newton’s forgiveness for letting go once before.


	5. Your rhythm against Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton and Hermann have a day free of the lab though Chau still feels the need to remind them that he's in charge. They pass on the information that they've gathered so far and receive a few gifts from their team members in the exchange.

                Kissing Hermann had felt like healing, just a little. It was also sort of frightening because Newton felt like they were crossing a line. One they hadn’t crossed last time despite how very close they’d gotten several times. He had never been one to toe the line though, Newton had always preferred jumping into things. In that vein of action Newton had led Hermann towards the bedroom, the two of them stumbling slightly in their attempts to continue kissing. Hermann’s lips were insistent and needy against his, hands clinging to keep Newton from straying too far away from him.

                The bed finally hit the back of Newton’s knees as he tugged at Hermann’s vest. Hermann gave him a gently nudge backwards so that Newton sat down on the edge of the bed. Newton was alright with this as he stared up at Hermann who was slipping out of his vest as he stood between Newton’s knees. Hermann was meticulous about everything and Newton was impatient about everything so while Hermann worked on undoing his cuff links and every button on his shirt Newton tugged his belt loose. He’d just gotten the belt pulled open and was working on the pants themselves when Hermann’s hand cupped his cheek and tilted his head back so that Newton was looking up towards him.

                “You are certain about this Newton? We can always wait…” Newton leaned into Hermann’s touch but took a few seconds to really think about it. He had _wanted_ this for so long but even with that prolonged sense of longing he felt that nervousness in his chest. Hermann shifted away and Newton felt that flicker of regret though it eased as Hermann sat down beside him on the bed. He was still close so that they’re legs were pressed against each other but Hermann didn’t reach out to touch Newton otherwise.

                “I want this. A lot. I think I’m just…” _Self-conscious. Nervous. Scared._ Hermann had seen his tattoos, had touched them and felt the scars that rested beneath them, but Newton couldn’t shake that tense fluttering panic at the thought of them being so on display. Couldn’t shake the feeling that, despite everything, Hermann would see them as a mark on his soul and not just his skin. He tugged at his sleeves unconsciously at first but then buttoning them into place at his wrists.

                “Perhaps for tonight we should just take our time. We do not have to rush into things.” Hermann spoke in a soft and understanding tone but Newton just felt frustrated at himself. He _wanted_ this. He had wanted nothing but for Hermann and him to mend the shit between them and just be together like this. He toyed with the cuffs of his shirt. _A small flash of colored skin; hide it away again._ His tattoos helped hide the visible signs but they didn’t hide the feel of scarred skin. “Newton?”  

                Newton took a deep breath as he lifted his head and realized he had tears in his eyes. Hermann was looking at him with concern and Newton wiped at his lashes to try and get rid of the blatant sign of his emotions. Hermann leaned forward and placed a kiss against Newton’s forehead before pulling away to start doing up the buttons on his own shirt. Newton felt an ache in the pit of his stomach because he fucking _wanted_ this. He fisted his hands in his lap for a second before giving a huff of frustration as he stood up. Hermann paused in his own movements to look at him cautiously as Newton started undoing his shirt. He may have been a bit too impatient with it as he tried to force each button free while avoiding Hermann’s face.

                “Newt…please, you do not have to feel as though-“

                “Just, let me, okay? Just let me do this, alright?” Hermann fell silent and Newton stopped for a moment to shake his hands as though this could force the nerves out of them. He reminded himself that Hermann had already seen them, had touched them, but Newton had lost a lot of the anger that had originally carried him through the moment out at the dining table. He went back to work on the buttons with a little more care this time as he got his shirt undone.

                He took a deep breath and undid the buttons at his cuffs before slipping the shirt off while still avoiding Hermann’s face until he’d let it drop to the side. Newton finally looked up to meet Hermann’s eyes and found him looking back with a soft expression that Newton wasn’t entirely certain how to interpret. He swallowed roughly as he stepped a bit closer to where he was sitting. Newton wasn’t even entirely certain what he was asking when he asked Hermann ‘please’ in a hush tone. Hermann seemed to understand though as he reached forward to take hold of Newton’s right hand to pull them a little closer together.

                “If at any moment you wish me to stop you just have to say the word, Newton.” Newton nodded his understanding as he tried to still his rapidly beating heart in his chest to a less frantic level. Hermann didn’t start with his arms, instead he pressed his hands against Newton’s waist as he stood. They were a little too close to be comfortable and Newton reached to help make sure Hermann was steady until they could shift to get their footing. Hermann moved, letting his hands trail along Newton’s skin on his abdomen as he stepped behind him. Newton leaned back into him some as Hermann’s cheek rested against the side of his head and he spoke low and soft into Newton’s ear. “I have wanted this... _you_ for so long, Newton. If I had not allowed my own foolishness to get in the way you would already have no doubt left in your mind in regards to how I feel about you.”

                As he spoke Hermann let his palms caress along Newton’s torso, fingertips brushing along the waist of his pants before moving up along his sides and teasing for a second at his chest. Newton felt a different sort of twist in his gut at the light exploratory touches as he tilted his head to the side. Hermann took the invitation and pressed his lips against Newton’s neck. He trailed open mouthed kisses downward, lips soft and the gentle nip of teeth, before he sucked at the skin where Newton’s neck met his shoulder. Newton couldn’t help the soft whimper that rose from the back of his throat as he reached back to grip at the ends of Hermann’s shirt.

                Hermann’s arms slipped away for a second but his hands barely broke their contact as they tentatively moved to touch Newton’s wrists. He eased Newton’s hold on him, their fingers tangling together for a moment before Hermann let go so he could turn Newton to face him. Newton flushed under the focus of Hermann’s gaze as the man searched his face as he touched Newton’s forearms. Newton felt that rise of fear that Hermann would pull away repulsed but instead Hermann skimmed his hands up along Newton’s arms as he pressed their lips together. Newton parted his, leaned into the kiss as he slid his arms around Hermann’s waist. Hermann licked at his lips as his hands continued their slow climb along Newton’s touch starved skin, leaving trails of electricity behind along his nerve endings.

                “Bed. Now.” Hermann pulled out of the kiss just enough to practically breathe the words before he reclaimed Newton’s lips. Newton tried to make a noise of agreement but it came out more as another whimper of need as he tried to pull them back in the direction of the bed. This time when he felt his legs bump into the side of it he pulled them both down onto it, Hermann pinning him into the mattress as his tongue traced the back of his teeth. They shifted carefully further onto the bed and by the end Hermann’s hips rested between Newton’s thighs in the center of the bed. Newton wanted to complain when Hermann pulled out of the kiss, pressed his hips up against Hermann’s in a needy fashion.

                Hermann’s mouth started down along Newton’s neck, continuing down to his shoulder before he shifted away to sit up. Newton watched as Hermann took his left hand, lifting his arm up before he started to press warm kisses down along the decorated flesh. Hermann’s eyes stayed on his face, watching as Newton had to push down momentary flutters at the intimate touch. It was equal parts thrill and fear as he kept expecting Hermann’s expression to shift to one of disgust. Instead he was met with that hungry, heavy-lidded expression as Hermann kissed the inside of his elbow, continuing along his biceps and back to his shoulder.

                “You put the ocean to shame,” Hermann whispered and Newton looped his arms around Hermann’s neck so he could pull him down into another desperate kiss. He was rewarded with a happy noise emitting from Hermann as their tongues twined together. Hermann somehow managed to get Newton’s pants undone and he felt his senses swim as long fingers suddenly gripped his cock and stroked along it. He moaned, hips thrusting up against Hermann’s hand. Hermann shifted away once more, his touch and kiss disappearing and leaving Newton confused as he opened his eyes. Hermann was carefully undoing the buttons on his own shirt in that meticulous manner, taking his time as Newton stared at him incredulously.

                Hermann returned his gaze with a raised eyebrow as he slowed down his task even more. Newton gave a huff as he carefully moved to sit up without accidently upending Hermann in the process before he started working on the other man’s pants. Hermann hadn’t taken the time to do these back up properly earlier so all Newton really had to do was dip his hands into the waistband to cup Hermann’s erection with his palm. He heard Hermann give a soft gasp as he pressed into the touch and Newton felt a moment of vindication as Hermann gave an exasperated sigh as he finally just pulled the shirt off without bothering with the last few buttons. Hermann was gorgeous. Lean muscles and delicate lines that shifted beneath pale skin with just a hint of freckles along his collarbone.

                “Always knew you were gorgeous.” Newton worked Hermann’s erection free of his pants, saw the flush of embarrassment spread from Hermann’s chest up into his face. Newton pressed a kiss against Hermann’s jaw, followed it with several more as he stroked him lazily. Hermann said his name with such need as he pressed them back down onto the bed that Newton, quite honestly, felt like he could have come just from that alone. Newton felt Hermann’s hand join his as the man wrapped those long fingers around them both, pressing their cock’s lengths together. Hermann found a spot on Newton’s neck to press his lips again, sucking and licking at the skin as they pushed their hips together at a needy pace, sliding against each other.

                Their breaths quickened between them, Newton giving a frantic thrust as Hermann brushed his thumb over the end of his cock. Newton squeezed in return at the base of Hermann’s erection and he felt a small shudder go through Hermann as he moaned his name. The jerk of Hermann’s hips and the feel of warmth and stickiness hitting Newton’s stomach pushed Newton over in return as he arched against Hermann’s hold on them. Newton wrapped his arms around Hermann as he felt his weight settle fully on top of him. Hermann nuzzled against his neck, muttering quiet words of praise in German.

                After they had both gotten their breath back Hermann finally rolled off of him, lying beside Newton who shifted onto his side as they could look at each other. Hermann reached out to trail a hand down along Newton’s arm, fingers tracing along tattooed lines before reaching Newton’s hand that he lifted to his mouth and kissed. Newton still felt that small flutter of nerves but it was manageable then. Hermann hadn’t shown any sign of feeling repulsed by the feel of the scar tissue and there was none of that panic that spiked through him at the touch. It felt safer, at least, when it was Hermann who was the one doing the touching. Newton tugged Hermann’s hand over to him with the feel of his lips against the back of his hand lingering like an invisible brand and Newton let his lips wrap around one of Hermann’s fingers where he’d seen a bit of cum. Hermann’s eyes watched him with rapt attention as he sucked the salty mixture off his finger.

 

                Hermann had made them get cleaned up after a short while with the feel of drying bodily fluids on his skin. Newton still pulled on the sweatshirt after their shower but Hermann reminded himself that things would take time. He hoped this had been a step in the right direction, had worried Newton would panic or regret the move when he’d stubbornly bared himself to him. Newton had instead seemed to relax once he seemed to realize that the tattoo-covered scars hadn’t made Hermann pull away from him. Hermann couldn’t say they had resolved everything between them, he knew that it would take time as well, but he felt a slight shift in his center of gravity that seemed to say they’d manage it. They had laid tangled together in the darkness for a long while after talking in quiet tones until Newton’s breathing had dropped into that steady rhythm of sleep besides him.

                Hermann woken up to the sound of a text message coming through on their contact phone. He reached carefully, doing his best not to disturb Newton who was curled up beside him, and grabbed the phone off the nightstand. There was no name with the text message, just a number that Hermann knew well by this point, a precaution kept in place despite this phone never leaving the room.

_Munchies at noon. Bring the information._

                The text was also kept equally short and vague. It seemed their meet up with the team was set though so they could hand over what they had so far. It wasn’t nearly enough but it was still early, they still had time for him to search deeper. Hermann wished it would end sooner rather than later. This undercover mission had given him the gift of Newton curled up against him but it also was a very real risk. Hermann set the phone back down after texting a short confirmation that they’d be there and sighed softly. Newton shifted a little beside him, stirring in his sleep as he draped an arm across Hermann’s stomach.

                In the early grey morning light that peeked out from behind the curtains of the room he could see the shadows of Newton’s tattoos where his sleeve had ridden up. Ghosts of color and shapes across his skin as though he really was looking at the depths of the ocean. Hermann let his hand rest on top of Newton’s, his thumb caressing across his wrist. Hermann closed his eyes, determined to let them both lie there for a while longer before he’d need to get up and make sure the data was all in place before their meeting.

                The next time Hermann became aware of his surroundings it was to the sound of Newton’s voice, low and quiet from somewhere nearby. He could tell it was later in the morning from the hint of bright light around the curtains though the room was still dark and still. Hermann must have missed the phone ringing because Newton was sitting on the edge of the bed talking to someone on the other end. Hermann frowned as he rolled onto his side to listen to Newton’s end of the conversation to try and determine what was going on.

                “And I don’t really give a fuck. We told you that our time was our time and we weren’t to be bothered. You have enough supplies to handle one fucking day-“ Hermann felt a small chill as he realized that Newton wasn’t talking to one of their team members. He rolled to look over his shoulder and saw their contact phone still on the nightstand which meant Newton was on one of the two phones that belonged to their covers. “No, I don’t think you understand. Your issues from before we started our _mutual_ working arrangements have nothing to do with us. You had a spell where you had no product going out to make you a profit that’s your problem. You seem to be under the illusion that I don’t fucking get what you’re trying to do here, Chau. I’m not here to be your bitch, I do my work on the days I agree to work and then you leave us the fuck alone on the days I’m off. I put up with a lot of your shit-“

                Hermann sat up and shifted over next to Newton who startled slightly at the feel of Hermann’s hand on his shoulder. Newton leaned back against Hermann, letting him listen to the phone call, as Chau’s slightly muted voice came from the other end. This wasn’t supposed to be a complication they had to deal with though Hermann understood they should have seen it coming. Chau hadn’t pulled a single punch so far with his plays for control. There should have been no doubt he’d test their patience on the rule that they were to be left alone during the times that were supposed to be theirs alone.

                “Trust me, Dr. K, if I thought you were my bitch we wouldn’t be having this conversation because you’d be too damn busy doing what I told you to. You cook smaller batches then the last guy and the stuff’s been bought up just as fast-“

                “If it’s selling so fucking well maybe you should be politely saying thank you and moving on your fucking way.” Hermann slipped his arms around Newton, shifted so he could rest a leg on either side of the man’s hips as he held his breath to hear Chau’s response.

                “If you would make more product we would be making more money. I’m assuming the two of you could use more money or you wouldn’t have returned to your work in the first place.” Newton seemed to struggle to figure out how to respond to this as he seethed for a moment. Hermann held his hand out for the phone and Newton huffed as he handed it over to him.

                “Mr. Chau.”

                “Morgonstern…”

                “Though the money from our mutual venture is appreciated K has worked for a solid week providing you with product. If you cannot manage to manipulate the supply and demand of your market that is your problem to solve. I have my own work I need to see to today-“

                “He could come without you if you’re previously engaged. I’m sure he doesn’t need you holding his hand-“

                “That is out of the question. This is the end of this conversation and your attempt to test us once again. We are both tired of your games to be rather honest and this is overstepping on one of our basic rules. You seem to view us both as vulnerable and naïve fools who you have backed against a wall with your threats. I assure you that is simply an illusion of control we have chosen to give you. If you would like to maintain some visage of that control in front of your men I would heavily suggest that from here on out you do not attempt to contact us during our free time.” Hermann knew he was pushing his luck as he was met with silence on the other end of the line. At some point they needed to manage to establish boundaries and this was one that needed to be very clear. They couldn’t have Chau invading their time outside of the warehouse if at all possible. No more than he already had with his previous shows of power in having them followed. It was a dangerous line for them to leave at all ambiguous.

                “Understood.” Hermann had to hold in his breath of relief, knew that it was likely too soon because he doubted that Chau gave up on anything that easily. “I have to wonder, Morgonstern, just what he would do if he ever found himself without you to fight his battles for him.”

                “You assume I step in during my husband’s disagreements to protect _him_. I can assure you, Mr. Chau, that were I not around to put an end to these arguments before they truly became fights that it wouldn’t be K who ends up in trouble.” Hermann’s hold on Newton tightened a bit as he spoke. He needed to find the information that they would need to cut Hannibal’s entire supply chain down to its knees quickly. They had been easily seen as top of the food chain in the Gigan job, had carefully established their personas long before they went undercover so that there would be no questioning. Taking them up once more had been the best approach to this job but Chau clearly was not afraid to make threats. Hermann just hoped he had enough restraint not to follow through with any of them before they could set up and execute the bust.

                “It’s sweet you let him believe that. I’ll see you both tomorrow; I expect large batches this next week.” The phone went silent with a click and Hermann heaved a sigh as he set it aside on the bed. He let both of his arms wrap around Newton then, pulling him close against his chest as he placed a kiss on Newton’s shoulder. “We will need to be careful later on. We are supposed to meet at noon.”

                “We’ll want to let them know to send someone that won’t be traced back.” Newton sounded tired still though Hermann knew the call had likely given him that spike of agitation and anxiety that Hermann felt as well. Newton was worrying at the ends of his sweatshirt sleeves with this fingers, picking at a loose string before tugging them down to cover his hands. Hermann pursed his lips tightly together and felt that touch of concern that last night was too much too quickly from him. “What time is it?” Hermann picked up the phone again to check the screen for the time.

                “It is only seven-thirty. We have some time if you need to rest more.” Hermann leaned carefully forward, Newton moving with him so that he could place the phone on the nightstand rather than leaving it on the bed besides them. Hopefully there would be no more interruptions of that sort. When Hermann sat back straight again Newton scooted back against him in a way that seemed a bit purposeful. Hermann recalled the feel of Newton’s mouth wrapped around his finger and had to clear his throat against the desire that rose up in him.

                “You going to get some more rest too?” Newton settled at last as his hands moved along Hermann’s arms. This at least seemed to indicate that it was perhaps more the phone call rather than their intimacy the night before that had Newton keeping his sleeves stubbornly pulled down over his arms. It pained him to deny Newton the company if the way he rolled his hips back against Hermann was any indication of his willingness but…

                “I need to get some work done before our meeting, I’m afraid. If I can decode some of the information that will give us a heads start on the rest of it.” Newton’s hands stilled as Hermann spoke as though he was listening with every fiber of his being. Hermann wondered what he was listening for in his answer that took so must focus.

                “We have a few hours, would it really hurt that much to take one more?” Hermann pursed his lips as he tried to weigh whether it would honestly make such a large difference. The phone call had left that fear fresh in his mind but weighing that against the fact that Newton had let his hands drop down to Hermann’s thighs with light caresses. “A little bit less even…maybe?” He was making it difficult on him but Hermann sighed as he nuzzled against Newton’s shoulder. He could feel Newton’s sigh in response as his hands pulled away from Hermann’s thighs to instead rest on his arms to hug them a little closer together.

                “I’m sorry…I just simply want to ensure we are getting this job done. I want both of us away from Hannibal Chau as quickly as possible.” Hermann spoke against Newton’s shoulder before turning his head to place a kiss against his neck. Staying there was far more appealing but Hermann couldn’t shake that concern. Even without it Hermann would have a hard time justifying handing the information over to their team without at least trying to get it started himself.

                “No, you’re right. Besides, we’ll have plenty of time, right?” Hermann placed another kiss, trailing a little further up to Newton’s jaw in response to the question. The fact that Newton still felt like it needed to be framed as a question made Hermann heavily contemplate staying there with him to convince him there was no uncertainty about it.

                “Once this job is done I plan on making up for our time with interest.” Hermann pressed a few more light kisses against Newton’s jawline, felt the hint of stubble there against his lips before he regretfully loosened his arms from around him. Newton turned before he pulled away to plant a kiss against Hermann’s lips with that same demanding need from the night before. Hermann very nearly pulled him down onto the bed with him at that, work be damned, but Newton pulled away with a small grin as though he knew just how breathless he’d left Hermann.

                “I charge a high rate of interest, Agent Gottlieb, I’d be careful making those sort of promises. Go, do your decrypting. I’m going to lay here in this bed all on my own for a while longer.” Newton took Hermann’s hand to give him a gentle tug to get him to his feet before handing him his cane. Hermann kept hold of Newton’s hand when he first tried to pull away to pull him into another kiss, taking immense pleasure at Newton’s small whimper.

                “Don’t worry, I’m good for any debt I have incurred.” Hermann stepped around Newton then and started towards the main living space with a small smirk as he heard Newton huff in frustration behind him.

 

                Hermann reached over to fix his collar for what felt like the fiftieth time since they’d gotten dressed up as K and Morgonstern. Newton was fairly positive at this point that it was just an excuse to touch him and he couldn’t really complain. He had really wanted Hermann to stay in bed that morning after that phone call from Chau. He knew it was his nerves, his anxiety rising up at the intrusion, but Newton couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all going to go wrong somehow. They were mending things between them now, last night had been…a big ol’ something that Newton couldn’t quite describe other than _wow,_ but Newton’s experience was that having a bit of happiness tended to lead to the universe deciding to shake things up.

                “Are you ready, mien leibling?” Hermann let his hand smooth down along Newton’s shoulder as he got them parked outside the small restaurant. They would be meeting with one of their team members but they were going in as their personas meeting Morgonstern’s client as a precaution. One that really seemed like it was needed given everything about this job so far.

                “Yeah, of course. Let’s go make some money.” Newton gave Hermann a small smile, leaned to press a chaste kiss against the corner of his lips, and then opened his car door. Newton slid out of the car, moving around to Hermann’s side to open the door for him and taking a scanning look around the parking lot. There weren’t many cars and none of them stood out as being conspicuous. Newton couldn’t shake that feeling they were being watched despite the innocent appearance of the other parked vehicles. Hermann reached and smoothed down his collar for the fifty-first time as he carefully climbed out of the car.

                They spotted Yancy fairly quickly towards the back of the restaurant as they entered. He was sitting in a booth wearing a nice but slightly threadbare suit with a briefcase sitting beside him. All of them were carefully aware of the need to stay in character during this on the off chance that someone saw them. Newton let Hermann slide into the booth first before sitting down next to him so they were both facing Yancy who glanced around nervously. There wasn’t much of a story to his character other than being Morgonstern’s customer trying to get dirt on an old business partner.

                “You have it?” Newton waved the waitress away when she approached and she gave them a slight look but didn’t comment as she turned away. This place wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with shady deals happening over lunch.

                “Yes, I believe you have something for us as well.” Hermann spoke up, running the exchange considering it was his info on Chau as well as Morgonstern’s supposed business transaction. Newton kept his eyes out for any sign of someone that he’d recognize from Chau’s team but no one stood out. Maybe they weren’t being tailed anymore?

                “Will it be enough? To pay that son of a bitch back for what he did?” Yancy pulled the briefcase up on the table but didn’t let go of the handle for them to take just yet. Hearing Yancy curse more than a ‘gosh golly gee’ was always a little humorous but Newton did his best to hide the small smile on his face.

                “It will be a step in the right direction for you. That is why I only asked for partial payment at this juncture. You should be able to work with what is there and then I will contact you if I find more that will be of use for you.” Yancy played off that he was hesitating for a moment and Newton raised an eyebrow at him. Yancy rolled his eyes in a way that was very much just Yancy before he pushed the briefcase across to them. Hermann handed over the USB drive as Newton peeked into the briefcase just for the show of it.

                “As soon as you find anything I want to know. If he thinks he can steal everything out from under me and not pay…”

                “I will be certain to inform you the second I find anything else that may be actionable.” Newton slid back out of the booth, offering Hermann his hand as they prepared to leave. Yancy would stay for a bit to try and get a read on if they were still being tailed or not as they left. Hermann took his offered hand and stood carefully, straightening himself out for a moment before retrieving his cane so they could head towards the door. It had been quick and seemingly easy as they stepped back out to their car. The same vehicles sat in the parking lot as before though now there was a car down at the far end that seemed to be sitting with the engine idling.

 

_Car pulled out behind you two. You’re still being tailed by the looks of it. I didn’t see anyone get up and leave inside the restaurant though so they might just be watching for where you go._

 

                The text had been waiting for them when they got back to the hotel. Newton had clocked the car as they drove back. It didn’t follow them into the hotel parking lot, continuing past when they turned in, but there was no doubt that Chau still had someone on them. Hermann couldn’t say he was surprised but he was disappointed to know that they had to continue being so on point if they stepped outside the hotel room. Granted, that task was perhaps eased by the current state of their relationship as affection wouldn’t carry that weight of regret quite so heavily now.

                Newton had carried the briefcase inside with them and was setting it now on the table to see what exactly the team might have sent them. There was a thin layer of bundled bills on the top to keep up the appearance of it being Morgonstern’s pay for his work but beneath there were some casefiles on a few of the men they’d been able to identify in Chau’s employ. There was a note on top in Tendo’s handwriting that Hermann picked up as Newton shifted through the files for a moment.

                _Herc’s hopeful that with you already in the system we’ll be able to wrap this up sooner rather than later. Rahls thought the vests might not be a bad idea just in case we get what we need soon and our timeline jumps. We’ll plan another pick up in a week when K’s supposed to have another day away from the lab if you have anything. Hope you’ve done a lot of talking while stuck in the hotel room together. ;) We’ve included some other things, you know, just in case. _

_-T_

                “Jesus, Chau surrounds himself with a group of assholes. What does the note say?” Newton tossed the files back onto the table before digging out one of the bulletproof vests. They had gotten them before the Gigan bust as well but that had been much closer to when it was time to go. They could make excuses for them though if they needed to. That was if they were even noticed. The vests were thin and meant to be worn beneath clothing in a discreet fashion. “Already?” Newton gave him a questioning frown as he held the vest up and Hermann sighed.

                “They are hoping we will find what we need quicker than anticipated. It doesn’t hurt given Chau’s apparent inclination to be aggressive. They will set up the next meeting in a week when we have another day free of that place.” Newton nodded a little as he set the vest down on the table next to the files. Hermann caught the moment of drumming fingers on the table top before Newton dug to see if there was anything else in the bottom of the case beneath the second vest.

                “Oh score, dude!” Hermann folded the note up carefully and tucked it into his pocket as Newton pulled a grocery bag out of the bottom of the case. It had been a tradition for the team to get those who were undercover snacks to include in the drops. Newton tossed a thing of lemon heads, candied orange slices and dark chocolate with sea salt on the table. Hermann saw the blush creep into his face before Newton even pulled the last few items out of the bag and Hermann swore he would kill Tendo Choi the next time he saw him. He hadn’t even _spoken_ with Tendo since the night before. Newton had had a short phone call earlier to detail the conversation with Chau that morning but surely…

                “Ha, I uh…guess someone’s going to be disappointed when they realize they forgot to take these with them, huh?” Newton held up the pack of condoms and a container of lube with one of his slightly too loud laughs. Yes, Hermann would either kill or kiss Tendo, he wasn’t entirely certain which though he did wish the man had a bit more decorum. Newton wasn’t quite managing to pull off an innocent look and Hermann had suspicions that the conversation had gotten a bit more detailed than necessary.

                “Well, their loss then,” Hermann said trying to act nonchalant as he took the offending items from Newton to set them aside. Newton seemed a little thrown off by this response as Hermann picked up the vest he’d left a mess on the table so he could neatly fold it up. “Should we order room service since we know we’re being tailed? Avoid having to act the entire meal?” Hermann glanced at Newton out of the corner of his eye as he heard a soft huff come from him. Newton had a small confused frown on his face as he opened the pack of lemon drops to pop one into his mouth. Hermann softened a little in his irritation at having their intimate moments apparently discussed over the phone as he set the vest back into the briefcase by its pair.

                “Yeah, that’s probably smart I guess.” Newton finally answered as he sucked on the lemon head and Hermann felt his own face flush a bit. “Don’t want to act the whole time, huh?”

                “No, we would not. Besides, it will be easier to have dessert if we stay in.” Newton gave him a look like he was insane as he tugged at his tie to loosen it. Newton wasn’t a fan of neatly done up ties, preferring them loose to the point of being pointless.

                “Dude, the desserts here suck. That piece of cheesecake the other night was like…freezer burned.” Hermann reached over to pull him a little closer by the messily done knot of fabric, tilting Newton’s chin up so he could press a kiss against his lips. Newton tasted like overtly sugary lemons as he seemed to melt against Hermann and part his lips. Hermann sucked lightly on Newton’s bottom lip before pulling away without pushing deeper. “Oh…that kind of a dessert…”

                “Yes. Though there may be sucking involved I do sincerely hope that it rates higher than freezer burned cheesecake.”

                “Hmm, I’m not really sure yet. I may need a second helping to make sure.” Hermann gave Newton a flat look at the review but obliged as he pulled them close together and once more drew Newton into a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A summary of how writing this chapter went:
> 
> Me: "Well, I don't think they'll jump into having sex right away since they just-"
> 
> Newton: *Captain Holt voice* BONE! 
> 
> Me: "O...Okay..."
> 
> Also, doesn't this all seem so nice and sweet? These two nerds happily tangled up together like they aren't in constant danger.


	6. A sudden fermare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermann gets closer to the information he needs to complete their mission. Chau's new business dealings lead to a tense confrontation. Scott may know more than they originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the start of some of the violence getting stepped up. Just a heads up going into it that things will be getting a little more bloody as we get further into the fic.

              Hermann glanced up from the computer as he heard Newton’s voice come from over by the lab table. Scott was leaning over the table next to Newton, the two of them seeming lost in a conversation Hermann hadn’t been following. He’d been working on digging into Chau’s databases, trying to get past the protections that he had in place. He hadn’t made any progress though so far that morning in part because Scott had originally been hanging around him asking about some of his work. Scott seemed curious, was smarter than he sometimes acted as well, as he seemed to pick up on and understand the broad concepts that Hermann had been carefully willing to share about Morgonstern’s work. It had made it impossible for Hermann to do his actual work though.

              Now it seemed that Newton was helping keep that curious attention off of him by describing the process of the synthesis of K-Blue to him.  “So, most of the steps you either have worked out the chemical equations for the reaction you’re preforming so that you know that you’re getting a complete reaction. You just give it enough time to run and then you’re good. Some of the steps though will make life a bit easier on you by having an actual indicator that the reaction is completed.”

              “So like how you watch for the color change on the last step then? But what’s the indicator here. It’s not changing colors.” Scott had a small frown of concentration on his face and Hermann gave a quiet sigh. They had dealt with their fair share of people who he found some sympathy for over the years. People who hadn’t intended to get into the life they had or who had even been coerced. Scott was young, apparently rather bright behind that rough exterior, yet here he was working as some sort of enforcer for Hannibal Chau. When the bust occurred, they would have to bring him in just the same as the others though Hermann hoped that Scott might see the wisdom of taking a deal when that time came.

              “Exactly, dude. This reaction here doesn’t have a color change as an indicator but you watch for the bubbles. You see how it looks like there’s bubbles forming off the sides of the beaker. That’s a gaseous byproduct of the reaction. When the bubbles stop forming you know that the reaction has completed. It doesn’t help you judge how much to add like the color change does but you can tell if it’s finished by adding just a little more…and if there’s no more bubbles you’re done!” Newton showed by example at that point and Hermann shook his head as he forced himself to focus back on his own work since he was being provided a distraction.

              It had been four more days in the lab and Newton had been more at ease since they’d talked. He still kept his sleeves rolled down in front of Chau and his men. Still had a tendency to provoke Chau when he chose to make an appearance in person. Hermann could tell that the chain they were being kept on was loosening some though. Chau had pushed the issue of Newton making larger batches but once they’d come to an agreement on how to manage that task he’d been almost genial.

              Hermann frowned down at the lines of code on his computer as it ran through its attempts at finding some weakness in Chau’s system. There were files that had further protections on them and Hermann was almost certain they’d hold the information they needed. What he had gained access to with the email had given them a small sliver of information. A handful of coded names and transactions. The encrypted files with their extra layers of protection would likely give them the rest. He was having to be careful though with how much he pushed at once. Too many tests on the system could trigger a warning on Chau’s end. He wasn’t a fool when it came to IT security.

              They had four days before they’d have another break and Hermann was sincerely hoping he’d have access to the files at least before then. If he managed to get through to them, get them downloaded on a local drive to where he could work on decrypting them during their down time at the hotel. Hermann lost himself in his work, Newton’s voice rising and falling in his excitement of having a captive audience serving as his signal that he was safe to continue moving forward. He felt a fondness settle in his chest at the sound of it even though he wasn’t focusing on the words themselves. Newton would have made an excellent teacher in another life even with his more sardonic tendencies.

              The door opened and all three of them in the room shifted as they looked up. Chau had stepped inside on his phone seeming to finish up a conversation as he motioned at Scott. The young man seemed to fight to contain an eye roll as he moved away from the table, clapping Newton on the shoulder before he came to wait for Chau to finish his conversation.

              “Our friend wants to have another meeting. You’re coming with, you seem to handle him better than some of the other idiots. Doctors.” Chau seemed in a foul sort of mood, one that was a bit different than his typical threatening cadence as he more barked the words than spoke them. Scott didn’t argue though Hermann could tell he hesitated for a moment to follow before they were left alone in the lab for the first time since they’d started.

              “Huh.” Newton glanced back towards Hermann then with a small shrug of his shoulders. Hermann pursed his lips as he slipped his glasses off for a second. He didn’t trust this. He should be relived as in theory he was free now to work without concern of someone looking over his shoulder. He should be relieved because, in theory, this meant they’d earned Chau’s trust. It felt too sudden and too much like it would be a test rather than true freedom.

              “How are you doing, liebling?” Hermann glanced as his most recent scan completed without any definitive results. He retyped the command, changed some of the parameters and hesitated to hit enter. He could send it off, do one or two more sweeps for the day but he was on edge. There had been no indication that his tests on Chau’s system had been noticed but it would only take one misstep for that to happen. He finally hit the enter key with the improbable fear that Chau would come busting back through the door exclaiming that they’d been caught.

              “Good, moving along. You good?” Despite his initial casual response to the situation Newton’s drumming fingers on the tabletop gave away his own nerves.

              “I am just fine. Tired is all and ready to return to our rooms.” Hermann felt a touch of warmth in his face as Newton gave him a grin at the comment. He hadn’t necessarily intended to make an illusion to their personal relations but there was some truth there. Hermann rolled his eyes in Newton’s direction in a silent response to the waggle of eyebrows that was aimed in his direction. Hermann’s eyes scanned the computer screen as Newton’s focus returned to the setting up the next steps in his reactions.

              “Are we ordering in room service again tonight, darling?” A few moments had passed before Newton spoke, his voice closer than Hermann was expecting. A small shiver went down Hermann’s back when Newton pressed a kiss to the back of his neck and he lifted a hand to swat him away.

              “Perhaps. If you behave.” Hermann said pointedly feeling immensely aware that they may still have eyes on them. Newton sighed in his ear as he rested his chin against Hermann’s shoulder to look at the computer screen. Hermann leaned back into him so he could see the screen more fully. Newton knew enough to understand what Hermann was trying to do even if he wouldn’t have necessarily gotten this far himself had he tried. Hermann closed his eyes for a second, feeling the fatigue from having stared at the computer screen for so long every day.

              “And if I misbehave?” Newton spoke with a low edge in his voice as Hermann felt him nuzzle into his neck. It was that edge in the voice that lacked Newton’s own light teasing tones and instead was a mimic of K’s threats that made Hermann reach to lazily close the laptop screen. He hadn’t heard the door open again, hadn’t been aware that someone had entered the room with them until he’d heard that note in Newton’s voice.

              “Mm, well, I suppose you’ll need to be reprimanded then,” Hermann said in response as he opened his eyes and found that one of Chau’s men had indeed joined them. Hermann recognized the man as one known to be an enforcer for Chau who had visited more than a few poor souls that had failed to pay their debts. For the moment he seemed bored and indifferent to them as he pulled a chair towards the front of the room and sat down.

              “Don’t let me stop you two. Chau just wanted someone here to keep an eye out.” He waved at them without looking away from his phone and Hermann sighed. It actually eased some of the nerves in his chest, it felt like they’d passed some test in those moments. Newton pressed his lips to Hermann’s neck before pulling away and going back towards the lab table to finish his work. Hermann cracked the laptop open once more, checked that his scan was still running as he kept an eye on their new visitor. It was relatively peaceful as Hermann’s scan finished up its work once more returning nothing promising. Their sitter stayed tapping on his phone and ignoring them for the most part through the afternoon.

              Hermann almost missed it when his recent probe had come back with a weak point. He had started to change the algorithm once more only to realize before he started a new scan that the coding read out from the previous run showed an access point found in the network. He quickly made note of the port before checking to see just where Newton was in his process for the day. He would need time to try and target the port in a concentrated batch. If he started today but ran out of time there was a chance his attempts would be noticed and the weakness would be corrected.

              “Liebling, how far along are you? I am about to wrap up a job and I do not want to start up another if we will be leaving and interrupt my connection soon.” Newton glanced back at him with a raised brow as he bobbed his head for a second like he was trying to calculate the time he’d need. Hermann saw Chau’s enforcer watching them from over Newton’s shoulder, phone still held in front of him though his eyes were focused on them.

              “Not much longer. Maybe an hour total?” Hermann knew that Newton was trying to gauge how long Hermann would need to do what he needed. They could risk stretching out the process a bit longer since Chau had made Newton start producing larger batches but if it took too long there’d likely be question. Newton was nothing if not consistent in his timeframes for completing his work.

              “Hmm, I will work on something that is not as sensitive to network changes for the time being then.” Hermann gave a short nod as his eyes dropped back to the computer. It was a risk not to take advantage of the found weakness now but it would be more likely to disappear if attention was brought to it. He shifted back to Chau’s emails instead, searching through the newer messages to see if anymore matched the coded wording from before with a light frown. It would only be one more day; one more day and hopefully Hermann would have access to the information they needed.

 

              Newton sighed as he shifted his focus back on the table in front of him. He could drag the last of the reaction out but not for long. He’d be dragging his feet at this point and it’d be obvious even to someone who hadn’t been watching him do it for days on end. Luke dropped his eyes back down to his phone when their conversation ended and Newton took the chance to study the guy. He had read the file on him and Luke wasn’t as much of an easy-going guy as he seemed just then. He had a mean streak that liked to take the form of busted jaws and broken bones when Chau decided someone had crossed him.

              Newton pursed his lips a little as he moved to adjust the flask on the stir plate so that he could start in on the final few steps. He had just picked up the beaker of the ammonia when the door to the room burst open startling all three of them. Newt almost dropped the beaker, just about had a heart attack at the fact that he’d done so once he got himself steadied and set it down on the table. He took a big step back, a deep breath trying to get his heart back under control as he heard Chau shouting at one of his men. When Newton finally managed to refocus on what was happening in the room he ended up making eye contact with Scott who came in with a few other guys trailing hesitantly behind Chau.

              Newton swallowed roughly at the anger that was rolling off Chau as he berated one of the men. The guy’s name was Paul and he was one of the generally less harmful members of the group though that wasn’t saying he was an angel or anything like that. Newton scooted back towards Hermann a little more and felt a bit of relief when their hands found each other. They just needed to be quiet, stay out of the direct war path. This had nothing to do with them, well, Newton hoped this had nothing to do with them though he wasn’t certain why Chau would have brought them all into the lab if it didn’t.

              “I don’t want to hear your fucking excuses, I told you not to do stupid shit that would jeopardize this meeting and you managed to offend the asshole right before we could come to an agreement. You’re lucky I don’t fucking gut you right here.”

              “Boss, I didn’t even do anything. The guy just got pissed about nothing!” Newton pressed a bit closer to Hermann as Chau’s hand dropped to his firearm at his side as he rounded on the man. “The guy’s insane, I don’t know why we’re dealing with him in the first place. What kind of psycho asshole calls himself ‘The Precursor’ and freaks out over someone making eye contact with him?” Scott was about to speak up and say something and Newton gave a short shake of his head in his direction. “Look, we don’t need this bullshit, Chau. We’re doing fine with the Blue why are we even-“

              Paul didn’t even get a chance to react before Chau had drawn the gun and pulled the trigger. The lab was filled with his screams as he went down, blood soaking into his jeans from where the bullet had entered just above his kneecap. Scott took a step back and put his hands up submissively when Chau momentarily aimed the gun at him next. Newton heard Hermann curse quietly beneath his breath and gave his hand a squeeze trying to will him into just stay completely silent and still. Newton shifted just a little, tried to put himself between Hermann and the others which got him a reprimanding tug on his hand. _They were wearing the vests, they would be okay. They had nothing to do with this._

              “You. You did good today.” Chau seemed to calm some now that he’d shot someone as he re-holstered his weapon. He pulled a cigar from his pocket and trimmed the end off with a cigar cutter as he glared down at Paul who was trying to stop the bleeding. He’d gone a bit pale but seemed to be with it enough to know it suited him better at that moment to be silent. “One of you two going to help him or why the fuck did I bring him here before I shot the bastard?”

              “You do realize that neither of us are _medical_ doctors, Mr. Chau?” Hermann spoke a bit slow as though trying to get Hannibal to understand something rather difficult. It wasn’t entirely true, well, it was because Newton technically wasn’t a medical _doctor_ but he had done a stint as an EMT while he was working on his second doctorate. The bullet had clearly hit an artery though perhaps it had only nicked it because while there was a pulse of blood from Paul’s wound it wasn’t as drastic as it would be had the artery been completely compromised.

              Chau was cursing under his breath and Hermann had a tight hold on Newton like he was trying to keep him from stepping forward. He couldn’t just let the guy bleed out though, not when he could help and he shot Hermann a nervous look as he tried to relay that. There were a few tense seconds as Hermann seemed to hesitate in releasing his hand but at last he did with a sigh.

              “He’s still going to need medical attention. All I can do is stabilize him enough he’s not going to bleed out all over the fucking lab, you moron,” Newton spat at Chau as he moved back to his lab table to grab a pair of gloves. “Scott, you’ve watched me enough I need you to come keep an eye on the reaction and add the ammonia to keep it moving. Remember, only add small amounts, don’t over saturate the shit with ammonia or it will fucking ruin it.” Scott hesitated for a second until Chau gave him a nod before he followed Newton’s order and moved over to the table. “Gloves, Scott.” Newton pulled his own gloves on and rolled up his sleeves with a soft huff as he barked the orders. Paul gave him a grateful look as Newton knelt next to him to try and see just what damage had been done.

              “I figured one of you would be useful. Matt, call one of the nurses we have on our bank roll. Get them in here to take care of Paul one way or the other.”

He did his best to tune out Chau’s jibe that there was uncertainty whether Newt could keep Paul alive long enough for someone who had practiced medicine in the last several years got there. He hadn’t really had an issue with the tissue and the blood when he’d been an EMT. He had struggled to handle people, living people who were bleeding out, people who were, more often than not, panicking and that tight anxious feeling it had driven into his own chest. He hadn’t been able to handle the losing of those people either oddly enough given the risks he took now at work.

“I’m going to need something like a belt or rope large enough that I can tie it around his thigh. Also, I’m sure this is a stupid question but does anyone have a knife?” One of the other guys offered the belt and Newton heard the familiar whirl of Chau’s butterfly knife flicking into place far too close to his ear. Chau held it out to him, blade first like an idiot, and Newton carefully took it from him before setting to work. Newton tightened the belt on Paul’s thigh above where the bullet wound was to slow the bleed before using the knife to cut away at the fabric of his jeans to try and get a look at the wound.

              “Thanks for this, Dr. K.” Paul spoke through gritted teeth as Newton prodded lightly to see if he could tell just where the bullet had settled because it hadn’t gone straight through.

              “Does your boss frequently shoot his own guys for the fun of it?” Newton had a feeling the bullet had gone down through the leg, under the knee cap that seemed mercifully still intact somehow. The tendons and muscles were likely a different story though. He wouldn’t be going on any hardcore walks for a long while. Paul didn’t answer right away and Newton glanced up to make sure he hadn’t passed out on him. He was still conscious though he was pale and not looking great. He was watching something over Newton’s shoulder though and he became aware that Chau was standing close by. “Can’t imagine you make guys want to work for you with this sort of shit, Chau.”

              “Most of the guys who work for me know better than to almost fuck up a deal this big. Do you even know who the Precursor is?” Chau squatted down next to them and reached to press his thumb against Paul’s wound which cause the man to curse a string of pained words. Newton smacked Chau’s hand away with a dark glare.

              “Some fucking Bond villain with the worst imagination ever?” He tugged on a section of the frayed jeans Paul wasn’t going to be able to wear again anyway to get a strip of fabric. There wasn’t much to work with in the lab that wasn’t going to be potentially contaminated with chemicals so it’d have to do as Newton tied the cloth directly over the wound to put pressure directly over the damaged artery. The two together should keep Paul from bleeding out before actual help got there at least.

              “He is an arms dealer. A rather dangerous one from what I’ve gathered. I’m surprised you would do work with him, Mr. Chau.” Hermann spoke coolly from behind them and Newton glanced back to find him hovering near the front of the lab table. He gave Scott some more careful instructions though his eyes hardly left Newton and Chau as he did. “I would advise you tread carefully with him. You are not the biggest fish in that pond after all.”

              “Been busy collecting your intelligence there, Dr. Morgonstern? Is he a client or just someone you’re curious about?” Chau’s expression darkened as he stood, taking his butterfly knife with him before Newton could react to grab it. He took a deep breath, tried to stay steady as he felt a hard nodule on the back of Paul’s calf. The bullet was there, just beneath the skin. It had run out of steam and hadn’t gone all the way through but it’d be easy enough to remove.

              “He came on my radar due to one of my clients. I make it a point of knowing just who may have an interest in my work or who may prove to be a risk. I know he has a reputation of being a shadow that works mainly behind the scenes but even shadows have a hard time hiding in the underground.” Newton listened closely as Hermann spoke wondering just how this Precursor guy had gotten on Hermann’s radar enough that Newton hadn’t heard of him himself.

              “I, uh…still needed that,” Newton said to Chau over his shoulder though really he mainly wanted Chau _not_ to have the knife with the mood he seemed to be in. He could probably remove the bullet from Paul’s leg though, it really did feel like it had settled just under the skin. It was inert at that point, it wasn’t going to keep doing damage but still it would need to come out and it’d be an excuse for him to have the knife.

“K!” Hermann called out to him causing Newton to flinch to look back at him which ended up being a lucky thing as something flew past him. It narrowly missed Paul as well to embed itself into the wall behind them with a heavy thud.  

“There’s your fucking knife.” Chau turned back to face Hermann who was being cautiously held back by Scott. He dropped his hand from Hermann’s arm as soon as Chau turned but Newton managed to catch sight of it. Newt reached up and yanked the knife out of the wall with as steady a hand as he could manage while Paul let out another string of curses. “Have you dug up any useful information on this guy for your _client_ , Morgonstern? I’d be real interested in paying you for anything that might shut him up about how wonderful he is.”

“You expect me to make a business deal with you? After you just threw a knife at my husband? We appear to still be having communication issues of our own in regards to just how our arrangement works, Mr. Chau. Even if I had extensive knowledge on this Precursor fellow you would currently be the last person I would share it with. You come in here, injure one of your own men, expect us to somehow take care of him any better than any one of your men, nearly injure K and then demand that I hand over information to you? Perhaps your men should be concerned for their current situation if you are suffering such hysterics over what sounds like a misunderstanding that was smoothed over by the end of your meeting.” Newton understood just then how Hermann likely felt every time Newton rattled off at Chau in a reckless fashion because he was really wanting Hermann to just shut up. He may have Chau’s knife but when everyone in the room with the exception of Hermann and Newton had guns strapped to their sides it was little consolation.

              Newton gave Paul a moment’s notice before he sliced at the skin on his calf just above the bullet. He pressed on either side and popped the piece of metal out from under the skin without really processing whether Paul had been ready for that particularly unpleasant sensation. He took the bullet that was mainly intact though warped and stood up with the knife still clutched in his hand. He met Hermann’s eyes for a second; could recognize that the tense and squared posture meant Hermann was far more than ready to fight their way out if it was required. He had his cane held in front of him, both hands resting on it so he’d be able to quickly swing it up as a weapon if needed.

              “Hey Chau.” Newton interrupted before the conversation could proceed any further as he walked up to Hannibal and grabbed his hand. He pressed the bullet into it without any regard to the blood that was all over it and his gloves. Hermann had watched his every step from the side of the table waiting for some sort of sign. “There’s your fucking bullet.” Chau looked down at the bullet with a look of disgust as he dropped it. Newton gave the knife a toss downwards, letting it fall and embed into the floor by Chau’s feet. “Scott, how are we doing over here?”

              “I think we’re about there. Maybe.” Scott shrugged as Newton gave him a disapproving look as he carefully peeled the gloves off into a little contained ball of biohazard. He half expected to have the knife thrown at him again, watched Hermann closely for some indication that he needed to duck. He tried to keep steady though, eying the solution that was just about the perfect shade of blue, maybe a touch darker than he liked, but not enough that it was an issue. Scott had done decently well in his absence.

              Newton took Hermann’s hand when he reached for him, gave it a gentle squeeze at the look of carefully contained fear on his face. Newton shooed Scott away with a quick nod of approval as he pulled a new pair of gloves from the box and took a second to adjust the beaker so the stir bar wasn’t dinging against the side of the glass.

              “My apologies, Doctors. It’s been a long fucking day. If you would perhaps consider it, Dr. Morgonstern, I would be willing to pay for some information on the Precursor if you have anything you believe would be useful.” Chau spoke between gritted teeth as he seemed to struggle to actually be polite for once. It wasn’t convincing but it meant he wasn’t actively contemplating shooting them at the moment.

              “I appreciate your apology. Your business proposition will take some time to consider but I will get back to you.” Hermann spoke tersely as he hovered close at Newton’s side.

              Chau gave a nod though it was clear by the tick in his jaw that they were trying his apparently already very thin patience. He continued to watch them as Hermann turned away in a clear indication that the conversation was over for the time being. A couple of the other guys helped Paul up onto a chair rather than the floor as Chau’s phone rang finally pulling his attention away from them.

              Newton breathed a sigh of relief as he gauged how quickly he could wrap up. He was suddenly very eager to leave for the day. Chau and most of the men eventually filed out of the lab leaving Scott and Paul sitting as they waited for this medical help that was supposed to be on the way to get there. Eventually Matt came back in with a young man wearing scrubs who seemed just as frustrated at the expectation that he was supposed to magically heal Paul’s injury without taking him to the hospital.

              “Mind if I borrow some gloves?” Newton looked up when he heard the request with an expression of disbelief. The medic was staring at him with a light frown that seemed a bit confused. Newton shifted, straightening out from where he was bending over the table working on filling the pill casings as he suddenly felt a little defensive for a reason he couldn’t quite pin down. It seemed to work as the medic dropped his eyes, muttering an apology like staring had been an offense.

              “What kind of medic comes without their own gloves?” This earned him a look though it was quick and fleeting as the guy dropped his gaze again like he was afraid to stare for too long at Newt.

              “I’m a nurse and I kind of had to rush. Chau says to get somewhere and you just get there as quick as you can.” Newton tugged a couple of the gloves free from the box, pulling an extra pair out just in case they were needed.

              “Well, maybe you should keep a bag at the ready if you’re going to work with these kinds of people.” The gloves were snatched from him when he offered them from over the table and the guy turned back without another word. Newton rolled his eyes though he glanced over from time to time as Paul got fixed up. The nurse ended up having to cauterize the injury to stop the bleeding entirely which left the lab smelling of burnt flesh and blood as Newton finally finished filling up the pill casings. Newt caught the nurse staring at either Hermann or himself a few times during the process which did nothing for his nerves.

              “Darling, I’m finished. Are you ready to head home cause I definitely am?” Hermann gave a grateful sigh as he closed his computer immediately. Newt was anxious to ask Hermann what he had found earlier, wanted to know just how close they were to being done with this job especially after today.

              “I would be delighted to leave, liebling.” Scott came to help pack the pills up into their containers so they could get out of there. He still seemed tense and uneasy and Newton couldn’t really blame the guy. Paul gave a string of curse words as the nurse found another vessel that needed cauterized close as he stitched things up. They all paused to glance in their direction as the nurse complained about Paul not keeping still as though the gunshot wound affected him more than Paul.

              “You ever reconsider your employment here, Scott?” Newton asked the question quietly and under his breath and Scott gave a tense sort of laugh in response as they turned back to the work. Hermann gave him a warning look but really it wasn’t that out of line to be reconsidering a job where your employer might shoot you in the leg for making a mistake.

              “Honestly, mate, if I didn’t need this gig to help out my sister I’d be out of here damn fast.” Scott funneled the last of the pills into the bottle and then twisted the top on it before setting it with the others. Newton watched him silently for a few moments before he glanced back across the room to make sure they weren’t being listened to. It had been bothering him still those times at the beginning where it had seemed Scott was wanting to tell them something. He hadn’t gotten that sense in a while despite the amount of time they’d ended up spending with him but there had definitely been something.

              “Scott, first few days we were here, were you trying to tell us something?”

              “K.” Hermann spoke with that disapproving tone in his voice as he raised an eyebrow at him. “Now is perhaps not the time to be bothering Scott about something he may or may not have been thinking of saying before.” They all glanced back over towards Paul and the nurse once again even though they had kept their voices low enough that it’d be impressive if either of them had overheard anything. The nurse was talking about how Paul was going to have to see a doctor eventually because of the torn and damaged muscles and ligaments. That didn’t seem all that likely given the fact that Chau clearly didn’t want him to draw any attention by doing so.

              “Just…trying to advise you both be careful. As you can tell Chau’s a bit volatile and he’s getting into things that’s above his normal pay grade lately. He’s expecting guys to get hurt, it’s why he’s bribed and blackmailed a few medics and nurses to be on his payroll. A few cops too as far as I know. Watch your steps, stick to what you’re supposed to do and you’ll be just fine.” Scott spoke low and quiet and he looked at Hermann specifically at the end which made Newton feel less than comfortable. Had he noticed that Hermann was trying to get into Chau’s network? And if he had, what was keeping him from using it against them?

              “I assure you we have no interest in doing anything other than the job we were hired for,” Hermann said with a light frown. Hermann had always hid his nerves well but Newton would be surprised if he wasn’t having the same thoughts. “Shall we get going K?” Hermann spoke in a normal tone as he moved to grab his bag, leaning on his cane as he reached for where it was sitting on Newton’s chair. Newton met Scott’s eyes and gave him a narrow look before he once more tugged the gloves off his hands.

              “You have a goodnight, Scott.”

              “You too, Doc.”

 

              To state that he was panicking would have been an understatement. Hermann was having a crisis as they drove down the street, Newton’s fast driving and white knuckled grip on the steering wheel a clear signal that Hermann was not alone in this feeling. Hermann was having a crisis because there was little doubt in his mind at this point that Scott _knew._ He may not know the whole of it, may not realize that they were DEA agents but he certainly knew that Hermann had been making attempts to get into Chau’s files. And yet he hadn’t said anything, hadn’t ratted them out. At least not so far and his warning seemed much more aimed at reminding them of the risk Chau posed and not indicated he wished to use the information himself.

              And so, Hermann was having a crisis because to go back, to continue with their mission, was ill-advised and dangerous. But, he was so close. He would need one more day, one more to tackle the weak port he’d found and to download all of Chau’s encrypted files for their use. One more day to complete their job and then the bust could occur and they’d be out of there. A lot of things could happen in one day. Neither of them spoke the entire drive, Hermann was fairly positive that neither of them could manage to speak at the moment while staying in character and not giving away their fears. And so, the drive was silent and long as they made their way back to the hotel. Once they were there Newton barreled ahead of him towards the room and Hermann shored himself against what he would face in the hotel room.

              “Fuck Hermann. We can’t go back, we have to tell the team and pull out. I mean, shit…all of that. Every part of it today. Please tell me you got something, anything that we can use and call good and be done.” Newton started the moment the door was closed behind him and Hermann leaned back against it as he tried sort through his own thoughts. Newton was pacing, hands tugging at his sleeves between gestures as he continued forward without any true pause to let Hermann speak. “If he actually knows, we’re fucked. He knows, right? Like you got that, didn’t you? Shit, of course he fucking knows he’s in that room with us every fucking day. I thought we were good though! I thought I was keeping him distracted with the Blue while you worked and you…you’re always so fucking careful! You’ve been careful, haven’t you? Shit...fuck…Hermann, please at any time now cut in and tell me that things are fine and that Scott is just someone who speaks in ominous and pointed tones all the time and I just hadn’t noticed.”

              Hermann took a deep breath to steady himself, to keep himself level because if he lost that control it would send Newton spiraling even further. “I would say it is safe to assume that Scott has figured out that I am making attempts to access Chau’s networks. However, thinking over the situation I feel there was no indication that he aimed to reveal this information to Chau. Instead it would seem he was attempting to warn us that we had not been as careful as we believed. We will need to report this to the team, see what they advise but I feel we may be safe to move forward as long as we move up the timeframe. I found a way in, if I can have one more day I should be able to get the information in Chau’s encrypted files and then we can complete this job and be done with it.”

              “We could be fucked if we go in again. I…I didn’t get the feeling that Scott was necessarily saying he was going to rat us out either but that was definitely a warning, Hermann.” If there was a way Hermann could be the only one to go back in he would in that moment. Newton stood looking lost in the middle of the main room, shirt sleeves tugged down as far as he could get them as he gripped them in his hands that were clearly shaking even from the distance between them. Newton was his way in though, he was Hermann’s pass into Chau’s facility and it would be a clear sign that something was up if he attempted to show up on his own. “We could do one more day. Chau’s occupied with this whole Precursor bullshit and if we both feel like Scott wasn’t making a direct threat. Hermms, you’ve got to get that information tomorrow though.”

              “I will. We need to call the team, let them know what is going on and what our plan is. And then tomorrow we will finish this and then the others can come in for the bust.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit guys! I've been moving and dealing with all the stuff that comes with that. Updates may be slow for a bit because of it all.


	7. The Crescendo that Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermann and Newton head in for what they hope might be their last time. Hermann is tasked with getting the information in the files while the team stands up in case of trouble.   
> Things go horribly wrong but it's not Scott who brings about their fall.

              Hermann didn’t like the plan though he wasn’t entirely certain what other options they had. There had been a long conversation the night before over the phone with their team about what they should do. Herc didn’t even want them going back in initially; said it was too risky if they believed they’d been compromised somehow. After talking it over for hours though and the acknowledgement that they were under a great amount of pressure to get this job done right they’d come up with a plan.

              Newton and Hermann would go in for another day though they’d have some extra precautions in place. They’d both be wearing their vests and the tracking device in Hermann’s cane would act as a signal that things had gone wrong. If he switched it on they’d know that they were in trouble. The team would be stationed around the area; close enough to act if there were any problems. If they managed to get in without any sign that something was amiss Hermann would have to focus on getting through the protections on Chau’s files. If he could crack them and get them saved onto the drive they’d at least have their own copy saved for cracking after the bust. If Chau had a failsafe where their records would be deleted at the first sign of trouble they’d already have the information they’d need.

              If they managed to make it through the day without any sign that they’d been made they would continue as originally planned. Hermann will have hopefully managed to gain the information they needed which would mean they could potentially call the bust in early. Either way they would be trying to make their remaining time in Chau’s company as short as possible. That’s where they stood with things as they got ready for the day.  They had two more days of work before K’s next day off. Two days that could either go like all the other days before or that could go terribly wrong.

              Newton helped him get his vest on and done up before grabbing his own. He was trying to put on a face of bravado but Hermann could tell he was nervous. He couldn’t keep still for even a second and he was rambling at a mile a minute despite the fact that Hermann hadn’t said anything in response for several minutes now.

              “Really, we don’t even know if Scott actually meant it the way it came across. Maybe he was just trying to give us a heads up that Chau was extra pissy right now. Don’t go badgering the bull or whatever the hell analogy you want to use for it. I mean, if he knew that we were DEA there’d be no way he’d just sit on that, right? Unless he thought we would make a deal with him but that wasn’t really what he seemed to be suggesting. We may just walk in there today and it will be business as always and you can be brilliant and get that information and we will have been all wound up and worried for no reason.” Hermann sighed as he took a hold of Newton’s shirt collar to smooth it down; did his best to assess whether it was obvious they were wearing the vests beneath their clothing.

              The bullet proof vests were fitted and thin specifically to be worn without it being apparent. Unless someone paid extra close attention no one would notice. Satisfied Hermann gathered their things, handing them to Newton who was still talking incessantly so he would help carry something. When Newton was nervous the words never stopped; when Hermann was nervous he couldn’t find his voice. At least it balanced itself, he supposed. Hermann stopped as they approached the door to the hotel room to get ready to leave for the day and he gave Newton a patient look.

              “What are we waiting for? Oh…wait…right, I’m good. Really, I am. Ready to go; we’re going to own this thing.”

              “Quite,” Hermann said shortly with hardly the same conviction that Newton had put behind it. Newton gave him a smile that faltered a little around the edges before he stepped forward and caught Hermann in a kiss unexpectedly. It took him a few seconds to catch up but then Hermann melted into the kiss, dropping his hand from the door handle to wrap around Newton’s waist. It felt a little desperate, tasted just a bit like fear, but it was a reassurance that they were both ready to face whatever came their way.

              When they finally parted Newton seemed a little steadier and Hermann’s cold sense of dread had eased just slightly. The moment the door opened they both shifted to their other personas, shifted into being two brilliant and dangerous in their own rights criminals. Newton locked the door behind them before taking Hermann’s arm and they walked towards the car. Hermann caught sight of the Becket brothers as they got into the car that was already waiting for them at the valet. The two were sitting across the street at a café; coffees in hand as they moved to their own car. They’d trail them to the warehouse while staying a distances back. The rest of the team was already getting in their positions around the area; they’d be close and at hand if they were needed.

              Hermann took a deep breath as they pulled away from the curb. They wouldn’t be on their own; the others would be nearby. Hermann repeated it to himself like a silent mantra in his mind. The drive was silent except for the familiar tap of Newton’s fingers against the steering wheel as they made their way towards the warehouse. Hermann repeated it to himself once more; repeated the fact that they wouldn’t be alone. That the others would be close by to react if there was any trouble. He had managed to bring his nerves down a bit further by the time they pulled up and Newton gave him a smile that wavered just a little around the edges.

              “Are you ready for this Dr. Morgonstern?”

              “Of course, Dr. K.”

 

              Newton eyed Matt who had been the one to greet them when they’d gotten there. He kept having a smug look on his face though he seemed determined not to talk with either of them. Hermann was working away on his laptop to Newton’s left; hopefully getting the information they needed so they could be done with this.

              Was it weird that Scott wasn’t the one watching them today? Did that mean anything or did Chau just drag him off to meet with the Precursor again? Were they actually perfectly fine or did they have something to worry about after all? Newton couldn’t keep his focus and he’d already slipped a few times during his synthesis. The batch wouldn’t be as pure, would be a slightly different concentration though it wouldn’t be dangerous. Well, anymore dangerous than K-Blue was to begin with. Newton looked back down at the reaction that was working its way through the next step before he’d have to start distilling. They’d made it through most of the day without incident but that also meant they were running out of time to get what they needed without coming back again.

              “K.” Newton looked up immediately at the sound of Hermann’s voice. Saw him slip the flash drive back into his pocket as he shifted. He’d gotten what he was looking for, he could see it on Hermann’s face. There was a bit of relief as he gave Newton a small smile. “I just finished the job that I am supposed to meet with Mr. L about tomorrow. I think we should perhaps celebrate tonight given we’ll be done dealing with his impatience.”

              “Macrons and wine?” Newton flashed him a grin as he waggled his eyebrows at him. He felt the first real sense of relief of the day because they could be finished. Sure, the plan was for them to come back and keep things up until everything in the information Hermann had copied over was decoded but it wouldn’t be much longer. And he had a feeling that Herc would pull them even before that given his reaction last night to the thought they might have been made.

              Newton felt now that they’d probably been overreacting. Sure, he’d been worried a few moments ago, but they’d made it through most of the day without any sign that Scott had told Chau who they were. Maybe he was right when he’d been trying to reassure Hermann earlier in the day. Maybe they had misunderstood Scott’s warning yesterday; Scott might not have any idea that they were DEA agents and not who they said they were. Newton’s certainty on the subject waned a little when the doors opened and Chau appeared with Scott and the nurse from the day before in tow.

              “Doctors! I’m glad to see you’re both still here.” Newton eyed Chau hesitantly but he seemed no surlier than usual. He headed over towards Hermann, leaning against the table he was using as his desk in a casual manner. Newton pulled his gloves off before heading over to stand next to them; shifting close to Hermann who was giving Chau a skeptical look as the man lifted Newton’s cup of coffee up to his lips to take a sip. “I was hoping to apologize for my behavior yesterday and, well, I maybe want to talk some business too. I was serious about hiring you to get some more information on the Precursor for me. Scott and I managed to smooth over Paul’s mistake from yesterday but I could still use some more leverage in this relationship.” Chau gave him a grin as Newton snagged the coffee back from him, wiping the edge clean with irritation.

              Newton gave Chau a pointed look as he set the coffee cup back down on the desk. They weren’t there for just anyone to pick up and drink out of. Chau gave him a smile that seemed just a little sharp before he shifted his focus back to Hermann. He scooted the cup away from him away from him as he did and Newton eyed it wearily with an uneasy feeling sinking into his gut. He caught Hermann’s eye, nodded slightly towards the coffee cup in hopes Hermann would understand neither of them should drink from it again. Not until Chau had left and Newton had cleaned and inspected the cup for any signs of tamper aside from the contamination of Chau’s mouth touching it.

              “I appreciate the apology, Mr. Chau, but I am still hesitant to further entangle ourselves given your predilection for being antagonistic and demanding of our time.” Hermann sat up straighter in his seat as he addressed Chau. He didn’t make any motion towards the coffee cups but Newton knew he understood. That minuet movement away from the cups was enough of an indicator. Newton glanced at the others in the room, eyes landing for a moment on Scott who was watching with a small frown on his face. The nurse who was sulking in the corners like a kid who’d been dragged to work by his dad against his will. He refused to meet Newton’s eyes when he realized he was being watched. Maybe Paul needed some more medical attention?

              “I’d be willing to pay a little extra on top of your normal fees. Consider it a show of good faith given I am already working with your husband, who also seems all too willing to cause a bit of trouble.” Newton huffed as he opened his mouth to protest but Hermann shot him a look and he snapped it shut again. He gave Hermann a pointed look before he retreated back towards his work bench after one last nervous glance at the coffee cups. Scott gave him a measured look when Newton stepped back up to the bench and grabbed a fresh pair of gloves.

              Newton gave him a small glare as he tried to get back to work while listening to the conversation between Chau and Hermann. He felt tense; wired and hyperaware of everything as Matt moved to talk with the nurse. Scott continued to linger near him; watching him work on the reaction that would finish this batch up and get them out of there for the day. The talk between Hermann and Chau seemed normal enough; fell into the candace of two people discussing fees and job details. Newton still couldn’t shake that high-strung energy though as though a wire was about to snap; wicked and wild as it took those around it down.

              His tie felt a little too tight and he reached up to loosen it as he cleared his throat. He’d be happy when they were out of there; when they didn’t have Chau’s men slinking around and whispering behind their back. Scott kept trying to catch his eye and Newton gave him a slightly exasperated look as he motioned towards the reaction to indicate he was busy. He was already splitting his focus between two points and Hermann’s conversation with Chau seemed to be reaching an end point when Matt stepped over to them to whisper something in Chau’s ear. Scott tried once more to get Newton’s attention, the room seemed to be buzzing with that tension now and Chau wasn’t talking anymore. Neither was Hermann.

              “Everything alright over there, darling?” Newton called it over his shoulder as Scott seemed to be trying to communicate something before he dropped his eyes from Newton’s suddenly.

              “Oh, everything’s just fine. You know, I know we’ve had our differences but you two combined have really been a great asset for me. One of you more than the other, granted, but overall a profitable relationship. Wouldn’t you say so, Agent Geiszler?” Chau’s hand landed on his shoulder and Newton turned to find the man looming entirely too close. His proximity sent nerves shooting down Newton’s spine and a silence settled over the lab as they looked at each other.

              “What did you just call me?” Newton could feel it, the floor dropping out from beneath him. That sinking feeling that had hit him when he’d realized what was about to happen back in Gigan, that raw panic that had him reacting out of pure instinct. Chau was giving him a wide smile and that impression of a shark resurfaced in Newton’s mind.

              “Playing dumb won’t do you any good, Agent. Too late for that. You’re the lucky one though; it’s been brought to my attention that you could still be useful to me. That means you get to live a little longer.” Newton had reached behind him as Chau talked, grabbed what he hoped was an empty beaker and swung. The beaker crashed into the side of Chau’s face rather than over his head as he moved. It was enough as the glass shattered to let Newton duck out from his grasp to start towards Hermann. Hermann was on his feet shoving the table roughly into Matt, who had drawn his gun. Newton reached for him but Chau recovered faster and the sound of the gun went off loud and terrible behind him.

              Hermann went down hard and there was so much blood. Was there blood? Newton had frozen in place at the noise but from where he was he couldn’t see any evidence of a red bloom where the bullet had torn a hole into Hermann’s shirt. Newton had a moment of clarity as he realized that Hermann’s vest had likely stopped the bullet. Realized the others would figure that out as well if he didn’t distract them. Hermann would be down for a while still; the force of the bullet would have been absorbed into his chest and knocked the wind out of him. He’d need time before he could get back up and moving.

              And so, Newton took a deep breath, as he heard Chau approaching from behind him. He grabbed Hermann’s computer as a decoy and he bolted. Chau gave a string of curses as Newton managed to dodge out of his reach and towards the door. He hoped with all his being that they would follow him. Would think that the computer held the evidence needed to incriminate them. Hoped Hermann had managed to hit the panic button on his cane so that the team would be mobilized. Newton skidded out into the hall hearing the footsteps rushing behind him and he turned away from where the exit was. He needed to keep them occupied, needed to give the team a chance to get to Hermann and help him. Bulletproof vest or not that shot would have hurt like a bitch and could very well have broken a rib or two.

              His heartbeat was pounding in his ears as he blindly took corners; the sound of pursuit growing closer with the pounding of feet. Newton tried to swing around another corner, lost his footing and the last of his head start as someone came crashing into him. They both went down hard, skidding and slamming into the wall as the computer went scattering away. Newton tried to scramble free, tried to untangle himself from whoever had managed to catch up with him only to be pushed down with a hand over his mouth. He caught a glimpse of his assailant and found Scott looking back in the direction they’d come from as he held Newton still.

              “Geiszler, you’ve got to listen to me, calm the fuck down.” Scott talked quietly into his ear as he eased up just a little though the moment Newton started to struggle he tightened his hold back up. “Listen, I’m FBI. I need you to listen to me, Geiszler, I’m with the FBI.” Newton was breathing roughly trying to catch his breath as he frowned in confusion at the information. Scott let his hand off Newton’s mouth though it came with the warning to be quiet.

              “Bullshit! Where’s your badge?” Newton hissed it at him as he tried to squirm free. Scott rolled his eyes as he turned Newton around to face him and pushed him down onto the floor to keep him from trying to get enough purchase to take a swing.

              “I don’t have it on me for obvious reasons but why would I lie about this, mate? If one of the other guys heard me say that I’m sure you can imagine what their first reaction would be.” Scott gave him a stern look and Newton calmed, well, tried to calm down some. “My name’s Chuck Hansen; I work under Supervisory Special Agent Pentecost. I’ve been undercover for a few months now trying to get to the Precursor through Chau.” Both names rung a bell and Newton stared at Scott with wide-eyes.

              “Wait, wait, what? Little Chuck Hansen? Herc’s kid?” He hadn’t actually met Herc’s kid; the two were somewhat estranged and the last he’d heard Chuck hadn’t bothered to talk to his dad in months. He did work for the FBI though and Pentecost sure was a supervising agent at the local division. The expression that crossed Scott’s…no, Chuck’s face was one of pure annoyance at the mention of it. He grumbled something under his breath as he hauled Newton up to his feet which sent the world spinning around him. He was pretty sure he’d maybe hit his head on the way down though everything sort of ached with the force he’d been tackled with. So much for interagency courtesy.

              “Look, Matt’s sure to catch up at some point if he didn’t give up figuring I’d take care of you. If he does you behave, act like I’ve taken you hostage and that I’m just Scott, got it mate? We don’t need to both be shot. Do you know if your team is on its way in?” Chuck didn’t let go of his collar as he glanced back down the hall.

              “Hopefully. Hermann, I mean, I guess to you Morgonstern had a panic button. We were fairly positive we were screwed so we planned to get what we needed and get out today.” Chuck nodded as Newton tugged to get over to the fallen computer. It didn’t look like it was in great shape but it was at least still mainly held together.

              “Good. He should have had time to push it. If we’re lucky this will be over in short order. How about we make a deal? We come across anyone from Chau’s team I do my best to keep you from being shot. We come across anyone from your team you do your best to keep them from shooting me. Sound good?”

              “Yeah, yeah that sounds good.”

              “Let’s get the fuck out of here then.” Newton stood his ground when Scott…Chuck, tried to haul him forward. Well, it was more that Newton tried to stand his ground as Chuck still managed to actually haul him a few feet forward. When Chuck realized he wasn’t cooperating he gave Newton a glare.

              “We need to go get Hermann. He had a vest on…he’s not dead,” Newton said the words with more conviction than he felt. Chuck sighed as he pushed Newton back against the wall with another furtive glance down the hall. There were footsteps coming closer around the corner now and they weren’t going to be alone for much longer.

              “Look, I get it, he’s your partner, but I hate to break it to you. If he wasn’t dead when we left that room he is now. We need to get out of here.” Newton felt the words sink in; knew that there was a large chance that they were the truth. ‘Scott’ and Matt had obviously given chase but Chuck hadn’t mentioned Chau coming around the corner. He felt the tears well up in his eyes; knew it wasn’t the time but couldn’t help it as he felt like he’d just taken a bullet to the chest too. “Shit…” Chuck grabbed him roughly by the shirt collar, leaned into him more as though he was having to hold Newton there by force though he was beyond struggling at the moment. “We’ll get to him if we can, okay mate? But you have to play along.” Newton nodded; afraid his voice would fail him as he heard the footsteps come around the corner. It sounded like more than one person and as he turned his head to look down the hall he saw a group of four.

              Matt was trailing behind the other two goons looking chastised and disgruntled as they started towards them. Chuck eased back so he could breathe a little easier but held onto Newton’s collar roughly as he faced the leader of the group. A wide grin spread on Chau’s face as he saw them and he clapped Chuck roughly on the shoulder as they came to a stop in front of them.

              “Good job, Scott. More than Matt fucking managed. Now; let’s go. The DEA busted in the front door a few minutes ago. We have transport through the back set up but we need to go now. And you…” Chau grabbed Newton’s chin to make him meet his eyes. “We’re going to have a lot of fun with you, Agent Geiszler.”

 

              Hermann was certain he had blacked out for a few seconds when the force of the bullet had hit him. It was close range and Chau used a ridiculously oversized weapon. The pain had blossomed quickly through his chest in those moments where he was aware of the commotion but not able to focus directly on it. By the time he’d been able to loosen the bulletproof vest and take a deep gasp of blessed air the lab space had fallen quiet. He tried to sit up but this had just brought a fresh wave of raw pain as he’d laid back down.

              He needed to get to Newton, wherever he had gone. Needed to get up and find the rest of the team who should be flooding into the warehouse now. He’d pushed the button the second he’d realized something was wrong. The second that medic had given him a look bordering on terror after whispering in Chau’s ear. It had all happened too quickly. It had all fallen apart within seconds.

              He heard someone approaching and Chau appeared in his vision; grinning down at him before he pressed a foot against Hermann’s chest. He almost could have blacked out once more with that pain and Chau gave a laugh as he pointed the gun down at his head. Hermann knew it was over then; knew that Newton would be on his own and, God, Hermann hoped he had the sense to get the hell out of there.

              “Agent Hermann Gottlieb. You know, you two are pretty good. Wouldn’t have pegged you for fucking DEA. But here we are; all because some fucking low life nurse on my payroll recognized your partner from his time in the hospital. We’re going to hurt him, you know? Oh, he’ll do some work too. Cook a nice supply of K-Blue since I’m going to have to abandon my entire facility and find a new cook. But we’re going to hurt him too. And then in a week…ten days tops you’ll get him back. Well…parts of him. Enough to bury at least.” Hermann frowned in confusion as Chau lowered the gun; uncocked it before tucking it into his holster. A voice crackled to life from over a radio and he stepped away for a second to talk to the person on the other end. He glanced back at Hermann who was trying to pull himself up; trying to get to his feet because he couldn’t let them take Newton. “Don’t know when to give up, do you?”

              The kick landed in Hermann’s ribs knocking the air out of him and forced him to curl in on himself in pain. He was vaguely aware of Chau telling him he’d see him later before the man disappeared and Hermann was left alone in the lab space. What felt like a lifetime later the rest of their team flooded in, Tendo rushing to his side to try and help him up. Hermann managed to sputter out that they had Newton; that they were taking him. The others reacted, moved to try and find them before they could get away as Tendo tried to convince Hermann to sit and take deep breathes.

              Instead, Hermann dissolved into tears.

 

 


	8. And A Beat is Dropped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newton finds himself at the receiving end of Hannibal's anger as Chuck stands by unable to help without risking them both getting killed.  
> Hermann returns to work despite his injuries and finds out that they will be working with the FBI in an attempt to put together a rescue operation to get both Newton and Chuck out of harms way before Hannibal realized there is still another traitor in his midst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's in the tags and I didn't write the violence too graphically but just a heads up there is a bit more violence again in this chapters and probably these last few chapters over all. 
> 
> Also, on that note, from my rough outline we're nearing the end guys. Five chapters left including this one!

              Newton hadn’t gotten a good enough look before he was dragged inside to figure out where they were at. It wasn’t a warehouse but it was a large building once more. It was more closed in though as he was led down the hall; Hannibal’s hand on the back of his neck forcing him forward. They had bound his wrists behind his back in the van; he was sporting a few bruises from some not-so-accidental kicks on the way there as well. Chuck had tried to stay close but he was toeing the line and Newton knew it. If he acted too concerned about him there was a chance the others would pick up on it and they’d both be screwed.

              Newton was pretty certain he was screwed either way at this point. Hannibal shoved him through a pair of double doors putting enough force behind it that Newton stumbled to keep his footing. The room was all concrete walls and no windows like the rest of the place had been though there were some shelves along the wall. As Newton craned his neck to get a look at them he realized that this was another lab. It looked like it hadn’t been used in years but it there were still the minimal equipment lying around and some of the basic ingredients needed.

              “You got that phone?” Hannibal asked Matt as he gave Newton another push to be in the middle of the room. Chuck shifted to be nearby but not right besides him as he glanced around the place as well. Newton saw his hand rest on his gun in its holster; Chuck’s eyes moving over the others in the room. Newt tried to give a small shake of his head in his direction. There were too many and Newton was no help like this.

              They’d both be dead in seconds if he tried to act. Chuck gave him an tense look but dropped his hand down to his side as Matt tossed Hannibal the phone they’d fished out of Newt’s pockets back in the van. “Hold him; I’ll need to use his fingerprint.” Newt tried to sidestep around Matt when he reached for him but one of the other men grabbed hold of him instead. He was slammed needlessly against the wall; the air rushing out of his lungs and stars dancing in his vision as they tugged at his arms so that Hannibal was able to get the phone unlocked.

              “I told you that I’d get to see him gut you.” Matt whispered the words in his ear; far too close for comfort as Newton tried to pull away from him. That earned him another slam against the wall that set his glasses askew on his face.

              “You take this; turn him around.” Newton was manhandled so he was facing Hannibal now. One of his goons was holding the phone up like he was taking video and Newton frowned in confusion. “I used to have a dog, Agent Geiszler. You remind me of him. He was all bark and no bite. Yapped up a storm and he definitely sounded like he could tear your throat out but the moment you moved too quickly in his direction-“ Hannibal raised a fist and Newton tried to pull back to prep for the blow but it didn’t come. Hannibal just grinned at him, snapped his fingers at one of the men who was dragging a chair into the center of the room. “You…sure the hell talked big. But the moment things went to shit you ran. You…left your partner behind and ran to save yourself like a fucking coward. And yet here you are.”

              “I didn’t run to save myself you ass,” Newton practically spat the words at him and then against his better judgement he actually spit at Hannibal. The grin disappeared and the fist actually came down then and Newton’s glasses skittered to the floor. As Newton felt the pain spread to numbness along his jawline he heard the sound of metal being dragged across the floor like a chain being uncoiled. He squinted trying to make out details among the blurred shapes.

              He blinked as something was suddenly held close and he saw the luminous blue pill held between Hannibal’s fingers. He felt a chill run down his spine as he tried to pull away from the two men holding him in place.

              “Our stash was back in that warehouse, Agent Geiszler, so you’re fortunate enough to have a skill set that I require. You get a one-week reprieve on your execution; one week to make us some Blue to get us through the process of finding a new cook and a new base of operations. Not to mention this is going to put a damper on my negotiations with the Precursor. You’ve cost me a lot so this will be your way to make it up.” Newton felt a bit of relief as the pill disappeared from his vision but then they were moving again as he was half dragged across the floor. He was shoved down into the chair, his arms pressing painfully into the back at an awkward angle. The sound of that chain came from behind him once more and he tried to crane his neck to see what they were doing back there.

              Even if he was able to spot anything it was a blur to him as he was smacked to get him to look forwards once more. Hannibal leaned down close to him, hands resting on his knees. “You will help us recoup some of our losses, Agent, but that’s for tomorrow. Right now, I know I’m a little angry and I know my boys here are too. I think you should have a taste of your own medicine.”

              Newton tried to pull back, tried to shove off with his feet to get the chair to knock over or something at the suggestion. He was surrounded though, being pushed down and held into place as Hannibal grabbed his chin and dug his finger nails into his jaw muscles to try and force his mouth open. Newton tried to fight against it but Hannibal forced his mouth painfully open just enough to shove the pill between his lips before covering his mouth with his palm.

              “It will be over faster if you swallow.” He recognized the voice; the accent as it spoke quietly in his ear with a sense of regret and apology held in it. Newton knew Chuck was right; understood that the sooner he gave in the sooner this would be over. Newt forced the pill to go down and some of the pressure relieved as Hannibal pulled back. One hand lingered on his shoulder and Newton’s glasses were put back on bringing Chuck into view as Hannibal rolled up his sleeves in the background. Chuck gave him a look that seemed so utterly like Herc that Newton marveled for a second at the fact that he hadn’t realized who he was even with the circumstances. It was a look that told him to keep going; that it would be over with soon and he’d be fine.

              “Now, Agent Geiszler, you’ll be free to go anywhere you want…inside this room that your leash can reach.” Hannibal motioned to someone behind Newton as Chuck pulled back from him. Newton could see at least, which helped. Well, helped at the moment. Once the drug kicked in Newt knew that he wasn’t going to be able to trust what he saw with or without glasses. He could hear the chain one last time and Hannibal reached to grab hold of it. It was a leash; thick and metal linked with a chained collar at the end. Hannibal wrapped this around his neck; locking it closed with a padlock so that it was tight around his throat. The weight of it was uncomfortable and cold.

              “This will serve two purposes. Keep you from making a run for it and give us something to keep you in line.” Hannibal patted him on the cheek as he took a few steps back with the leash still in hand. Newton swallowed roughly; the feel of the metal sharp against his skin even before Hannibal yanked the chain hard and fast. Newton was pulled out of the chair; almost cracking his head against the floor but caught himself on his shoulder instead. Pain spread through his shoulder blade and neck. “Time for some comeuppance, Agent.”

              The first hit came fast and painful into his back. He felt the tears and he squeezed his eyes shut tight against them as he did his hardest to stay quiet. Newton curled up the best he could as the chain was kept taunt around his throat to keep him from trying to get back up. After that first blow the rest came in quick succession hardly giving him a moment to regain his breath as he was wracked by them. He could taste blood in his mouth, felt his glasses get knocked once more with a crack. His arms had gone numb tied behind his back and the rest of him started to follow.

              In the back of his mind a buzz started that turned into a growling and between the feet surrounding him Newton saw something lurking back by the walls of the room. Something large and monstrous that seemed to laugh as it watched. He closed his eyes once more trying to block it out but he could still see it. Still sense it like it was calling to him. Purring in delight at his pain.

              He didn’t know how long the blows kept coming. He didn’t even realize at first that they had stopped; voices distant and warped speaking around him before a grinning caricature of Hannibal dragged him back up to his feet. The beast that had been circling them was gone but now Hannibal was the monster. He was too close and his teeth were sharp and wicked looking. Something flashed out quick and full of anger as it cracked across his face sending Newton sprawling once more.

              Time felt disjointed and broken around him as flickers of the room, both full of Hannibal’s men and empty except for him, danced around him. His heart felt like it was beating achingly fast and unsteady in his chest; a throbbing staccato that couldn’t keep up with the frenzy of his mind. He was hot and cold in turns; at one point he was certain that Hermann was there reaching out for him. Telling him it was all fine; that he was safe but then he twisted and warped back into Hannibal who grew into a lumbering beast that tried to smother Newton out like a flame.

              Then the world turned to a blue haze of memory and nightmare that rushed around him like a flood trying to knock him loose from his bearings and as Newton came out of the other end he found momentary silence. A reprieve buried in confusion as he looked up and found Scott sitting next to him, hovering close as he tucked something under Newton’s head. Newton knew he wasn’t _Scott_ but he couldn’t remember who he really was at the moment. Newton wrapped his arms around himself, had a momentary realization that he could actually even do so, and perhaps hugged himself a bit tighter as the joints in his arms ached.

              “It should wear off soon, Geiszler. Just a little longer. I’m going to get us both out of here somehow.” The world started to turn blue again and Newton felt a hand rest on his chest and he was lost to it once more. Hermann holding him close in a tangle of blankets shifted into the screaming burning pain of acid spilling on his skin; eating away at him before he was pulled down into a tumultuous sea.

 

              “Hermann, you really shouldn’t be here. You’re supposed to be getting some rest.” Tendo gave him a disapproving look full of concern as Hermann lowered himself into the chair. It had been twenty-four hours since Newton had been taken. He’d been seen at the hospital and it had been ruled that his ribs were badly bruised but that the vest had luckily taken most of the impact.

              “I refuse to sit at home while we need to be looking for him.” Tendo pulled a chair up next to him and glanced towards Supervisory Agent Hansen’s office door. “Have we heard anything?” Hermann both feared and hoped that there had been some sign of Hannibal and his men.

              “Yes and no. His phone was turned on again; we were able to track it down to a specific area. Yancy and Raleigh are there now trying to locate it. Herc’s…Hermann you said there was one of Chau’s men that you thought was going to tell you something, right? The same one you thought knew about you two?” Hermann frowned as Tendo asked the question, leaning in close as he thought he heard raised voices coming from Herc’s office. He noticed for the first time a young woman sitting in one of the chairs towards the front of the office; a blue streak in her hair as she sat in street clothes. She was sitting patiently with her eyes on them; watching them with curiosity.

              “Yes, Scott. We never got a last name on him and he wasn’t one of the known men in his group. I would guess it’s likely he’s the one that broke our cover,” Hermann said with a sigh. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that Newton’s phone had been turned back on. It was likely deliberate; it was hard to believe that it would lead them to him given how careful Chau had been in the past.

              Hermann frowned towards Herc’s office as he heard the man’s raised voice. He couldn’t catch the words but there was evident anger at whoever Herc was talking to. Hermann gave Tendo a wide-eyed look as he seemed to wince at the sound of it as well. Herc wasn’t a man who yelled often; much less loud enough that it carried outside his office.

              “Yeah, so there’s definitely some catching up you need to do, brother. Scott isn’t Scott. He’s an FBI agent who happens to be _the_ Chuck Hansen.” Tendo patted him on the shoulder as the voices in the office fell quiet once more. Hermann felt a moment confusion but then realized that he’d been rather on point with his earlier assessment that Scott reminded him of someone. He had seen the photographs of Herc’s son in his office frequently over the years but they were all from when he was younger. The most recent photograph in there was still several years old at this point and he had apparently changed some over the years since then.

              “But why would he ruin our cover?” Hermann frowned feeling like he was missing something. ‘Scott’ had been the only person they’d thought would be a problem but it made no sense for another federal agent to put them at risk.

              “He didn’t. That nurse that was brought in apparently recognized Newton from the hospital. We’ve brought him in and he’s in holding right now but isn’t talking much. Chuck is apparently still undercover with Chau from what we’re hearing; that’s the head agent of his team in there with Herc now. Which, at the very least, means that Newton’s not in there on his own.” Tendo sighed as if he didn’t really find this to be as comforting as it was supposed to be. It was little relief to hear that Newton wasn’t on his own. Hermann knew well enough that if the FBI agent thought he could get them out safely he would have likely done so by now.

              “Forgive me for eavesdropping, agents. I’m Agent Mori. Agent Hansen in my partner and I am his contact outside of Chau’s hideout. He has been in touch since the incident but we haven’t been able to ascertain much yet given the situation but we have every intent on helping get Agent Geiszler out of the current this.” The young woman spoke up from where she was sitting as she stood to approach them. She gave a soft bow of her head in way of a greeting as she came to rest a hip against Hermann’s desk.  

              “I appreciate your help, Agent Mori. I’m afraid I will not be able to take much comfort in it until Agent Geiszler is back safe.” She gave a soft nod of her head in understanding as Herc’s voice raised again just momentarily in the office though he seemed conscious of it now as it quickly went quiet once more. “Agent Mori, how long has your partner been under cover with Chau’s group?”

              “A few months. We were hoping he’d lead us to Ian Malcolm, aka The Precursor, which we were getting close. Unfortunately, we have not managed to get a confirmed trace on him before this occurred. He is likely to disappear with the raid on Chau’s location as a precaution either way. It is more important at this point that we get our people back safely than to worry about that. Their safety is above anything else.” Agent Mori rested a hip against his desk as she spoke with a kind expression on her face. Hermann appreciated it; appreciated that they were so willing to help.

              “Beckets are back.” Tendo clamored to his feet and Hermann looked past Agent Mori to see the two Becket brothers coming in looking a bit grim. “Did you manage to find it?”

              “Yeah, it was definitely left on purpose. They left a video on it.”

 

              Two more FBI agents had ended up joining them along with their Supervisory Agent who was an imposing and refined man who appeared to be rather familiar with Herc. Hermann sat at the back of the room eyeing them as they Beckets detailed where the phone had been left and the note that had been left with it.

**_Hope you’re doing well, Agent Gottlieb. Thought you might like to see him one last time._ **

              “Are you sure you’re up for this, Hermann? The Beckets only watched a few seconds before they brought it in. We don’t know what’s on this.” Tendo was sitting next to him still, speaking low as he leaned in close. Hermann understood his uncertainty; understood that what was on the video would likely be upsetting. He felt it would be unfair of him not to be witness to it; not to at least have an idea of what Newton might be going through. He was, in part, responsible for Newton being in the situation he was. Newton had done it again, had done something in an attempt to protect Hermann, and he had taken the brunt of the consequences once more.

              “I am certain, Agent Choi, thank you for your concern though.” Tendo watched him for a few more seconds before giving a short nod. The other two FBI agents were watching them; an intimidating blonde woman and a man who had a towering stature and dark beard. The woman leaned in towards him to whisper something before they both turned back around to face the screen.

              “Is everyone ready?” Yancy asked the question as they finished getting set up and he looked around the room pausing on Hermann for a few seconds. Once he got the go ahead he started the video that had been saved onto the phone. Newton appeared on the screen with Hannibal and his men. Hermann tried to get a count; tried to figure how many were remaining and how many had fled of those that hadn’t been captured. There seemed to be about ten in total though he recognized Scott among their ranks hanging on the edges of the group. Not really a part of what was happening but not separate enough to likely catch their attention. That would bring it down to nine.

              Hermann realized he was holding his breath as tears pricked up in his eyes as they forced Newton to take the Kaiju Blue. The beating that followed was severe and seemed to drag on for impossibly long. They could hear Chuck’s voice whispering in suggestion to Chau at some point towards the end that if they wanted him to work they needed to leave him in some condition to do so. This seemed to have worked as Chau called the men off though he’d landed a few more blows himself as he punched Newton who was clearly dazed and falling under the influence of the drug.

              “I’m sure he’ll be seeing you during the drift, Agent Gottlieb.” The video cut off as Chau shoved Newton to the floor; bloodied and glasses cracked. Everything else on the phone was as it had been before Newton had been taken. They had the same tracking information they’d had before it had gone dark which wasn’t much help aside from they knew which side of the city they had likely taken him. Whether they had stayed there or not was impossible to know for sure and it was still a large radius to try and even begin to search. Given that they now had six days at best to attempt to locate them made it even more complicated which was why they were hinging everything on Agent Hansen.

              “Agent Mori; you have a tentative meeting with Agent Hansen tomorrow morning, correct?” Stacker Pentecost, the FBI Supervisory Agent, spoke up from near the front where he was sitting next to Herc.

              “Yes sir. He contacted me under our covers and requested that I meet with him if possible. We will be meeting in a convenience store near Lexington Boulevard about mid-morning.” Agent Mori spoke up with a nod of her head.

              “If your team would like they can have a man in the store as well though it will clearly need to be someone Chau’s men won’t know. Otherwise, Agent Mori will go in and get the information and transfer some items to Agent Hansen. We are going to send in a bug that can be easily hidden but the Kaidonovskys will be monitoring. If things get worse where Agent Hansen feels we need to move sooner they will be the ones to give the signal.” Pentecost looked to Herc for anything he wanted to add though Hermann got the feeling that the FBI seemed to be stepping in as lead on this. He wasn’t certain if he felt comforted by this or not.

              “Once we know the location our goal will be to infiltration within twelve hours. We want to be in there as quickly as possible. Our main task will be getting our guys out of there safely with the secondary task of bringing Chau and any of his men in as well. We want this to be as clean as possible.” Herc sounded tired and he gave Stacker a look that seemed far from pleased though it seemed this was an agreed upon course of action.

              “We’ll know more on how to move forward and specifically when once we hear from Agent Hansen. We will be working together on this so I expect there to be no issues.” Pentecost gave his people a look before they all got the motion to dismiss. Hermann took a deep breath even though hit lungs complained at the movement. He stood carefully, doing his best to reign in his emotions as he straightened his suit.

              “Agent Gottlieb. I’d like to have a few words in my office when you’re able.” Herc spoke in passing as he gave Hermann an appraising look. Hermann did his best to hide his discomfort, did his best to hide the emotional fatigue he was feeling from the video and the last twenty-four hours. He wanted nothing to show that would bring into question his ability to be a part of the bust when it finally happened. Nothing to bring doubt to his ability to help make sure Newton got out of there safely. He gave Herc a nod of his head, grabbing his cane and letting some of the others file out ahead of him before he followed.

 

              “I know what you are going to say Herc but I refuse to sit out this operation.” Hermann spoke the moment the door was closed. Herc sighed as he moved to sit down and gave Hermann a long look before his eyes dropped to one of the picture frames on his desk.

              “I don’t expect you to despite the fact that it’s probably what I should be telling you right now. I just need to know that you’re going to be in good enough shape to handle yourself in there.” Herc motioned towards Hermann’s shoulder and he instinctively squared himself. It was meant to show that he was just fine though he could tell by Herc’s expression that he didn’t manage to keep the flicker of pain completely off his face.

              “I’ve dealt with pain most of my life, Supervisory Agent, this being differently allocated is not going to stop me from being able to preform my job. I assure you of this.”

              “Very well, I won’t worry about that then.” Herc seemed to be hesitating to say something else and he leveled one of those looks at Hermann. He’d become intimately familiar with the expression after the Gigun bust had gone wrong. Herc had been there frequently telling him everything was going to be alright and keeping him up to date with Newton’s condition when it was too difficult to be there himself. Herc had also been honest with him, brutally but compassionately so, when it came down to those moments of uncertainty. Hermann knew this was likely going to be no different. “Are you going to be able to handle yourself if we don’t make it in time, Agent Gottlieb? If something happens before or during the operation and Agent Geiszler is…fatally injured?”

              It didn’t escape Hermann’s noticed that Herc hadn’t been able to bring himself to just say it. That he had somewhat danced around it and his eyes had flickered to those picture frames once more. Hermann didn’t know the details of why Herc and his son were semi-estranged from each other though he knew that Herc had always seemed proud of his kid. He had two people he was personally invested in rescuing during this operation. Two people Hermann knew he cared about because though Herc sometimes expressed exasperation at Newton’s antics he had also been the one to sit at Newton’s bedside the most while he’d been recovering. It was no wonder it was perhaps too difficult to say it just then.

              “Of course, Herc.” There was a very real chance that both Newton and Chuck could be killed. And the two of them sitting in that office just then knew that neither of them would be able to handle themselves if that occurred.


	9. The Staccato of a Fearful Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visitor shows up and strikes a deal with Chau. Chuck manages to meet up with Mako to get her the information on where Newton's being held. Newton struggles to stay grounded with the lingering affects of the drift, the fear and stress of the situation and the pain he's been left in.

          "Time to get up, Agent." Newton stirred as he heard the voice. Someone was nudging him and despite that seemed to be intended as gentle it set his bruised ribs afire. He tried to curl up tight which only made it worse. "Get the hell up." The nudging turned to rough hands grabbing him and dragging him painfully to his feet as the light stung his eyes. His mouth tasted like cotton and his head pounded as some of the events that had led up to this moment came pouring back to him in a confusing and terrifying muddle. His bones ached and his skin itched as he finally managed to focus on Chau's face as he was dragged across the room to a chair. 

          "Might not hurt to get him some water. Especially if you want him to talk at all." Chuck made that suggestion as he hovered close by. He had that tense look around him, hand resting near his hip again despite there being too many of them for him to take on his own. Chau shoved Newton down into the chair which sparked pain up his spine once more; the chain connected to the collar he wore clanging loud against the metal seat. 

          "That's a good idea, Scott. You, go. Get some water." Chau snapped his fingers at one of his men who moved to step out of the room. Newton tried to take the moments to get his brain back up to speed. To try and find what had actually happened and what had been an imagined section of time induced by the K-Blue. 

          Clearly, he'd actually been taken by Chau and his men. The amount of pain he was in said he'd definitely been beaten. The thing he thought he saw lurk near the back of the room had...likely been a hallucination. Scott actually being Chuck was...true. That had happened before he'd been drugged. 

          Newton must have spaced out because the next thing he knew cold water, icy and sharp, was being dumped over him. His mind raced and panicked, flashed back to half lucid illusions of drowning, as he tried to stand up from the chair. Something caught the chain and he found himself slammed back down hard into the chair. 

          "I don't think the K's worn off entirely-"

          "Doesn't matter. The guy isn't coming here to see him." Something was pressed against Newton's mouth that made that cotton fluff feel worsen. Apparently, he wouldn't actually be talking as the cloth was tied behind his head. He chanced a glance towards Chuck who looked tired and antsy himself. They all looked antsy. Even Chau, as he watched as Newton had his arms wrenched behind his back to get handcuffed into place. 

          "I want security at all points. Keep an eye out, make sure he isn't followed here by anyone. I'm not going to get another chance to get this guy to make the deal with how thoroughly Agent Geiszler here fucked us." 

          “Oh, you fucked yourself.” That at least was what Newton had intended to say though the words just came out muffled against the makeshift gag. He had enough time to flinch before Chau cracked his hand across his cheek. The room spun around him for a few moments and dark spots danced across his vision. He blinked to try and clear them as he felt the shift in mood as someone said that the Precursor was here. Chau left the room for a second and Chuck moved over to him acting like he was checking he was still bound in place. 

          "Just try to be quiet and keep your head down. It's better if you don't draw his attention." Chuck spoke quietly and urgently in his ear before he pulled away to stand across from him near the wall. Close but not hovering while staying in his line of sight. Keeping his head down felt like it'd be an easy thing to do. Honestly, Newton had no idea what time it was or how much had passed since they'd gotten there but it felt like he hadn't slept in ages. He really could just sleep. 

          Newton felt like he blinked and then his surroundings shifted in that moment. Someone had their hand on his chin and he found himself staring into the face of the Chaos Theory guy from Jurassic Park. That's who he looked like at least. Older, hair grey and slicked back and less open black shirt and more hipster grandpa with a lot of money. Still, there was something that just forced the image in his mind.

          "So, this is the guy, huh? The one who brought it all toppling down on top of you. Well, one of them. You let the other one get away from what I hear." Ian Malcolm, that was the guy's name. From Jurassic Park. His look-a-like gave him a smile before winking as he pulled away to stand up straight and face Chau. Newton tried to force his head to go back on straight; to get his focus back enough to understand what was happening. 

          "I wanted to send a message. You have to leave a messenger behind for that." Chau sounded defensive though he wasn't being all 'I'm gonna stab you' like he had typically done with Newton. He actually seemed to be trying to be polite which meant this Precursor guy was probably bad news. Too bad all he had managed so far was to make Newton hum the theme song from his favorite dinosaur movie. He had some sense in the back of his mind that he wasn’t supposed to be finding this humorous but he felt oddly giddy.

          He hadn't realized he was actually humming the tune out loud at first until he caught Chuck's eye who was giving him a stern look. He glanced at the others and found them all looking at him as well with a wide range of assorted expressions. He shrunk back in his chair, feeling a little more sober suddenly, as Not Ian Malcolm grinned at him. 

          "Yes...yes, I, uh, get the comments about the resemblance all the time, Agent. It's even been a bit of a running joke, uh, that that's actually my real name." The Precursor gave a stilted little laugh as he turned to look at Chau. "Can I ask what, exactly, is your plan, Mr. Chau? Because right now all I see is, well, a mess. An empire in shambles. Ah, well, I'm not sure if empire is the word for your operation but to you that's what it felt like, I'm sure." 

          Chau did his shark smile, seemed to take a bit of time to bite his tongue with it, before he stepped forward. Newton tried once more to shrink down into his chair as Chau smacked his cheek almost affectionately. 

          "My plan is to move to my secondary base of operations in about a week. We're going to stay here for now and Agent Geiszler here is going to cook for us. Get a nice little back log of supplies stored up before I kill him. And cut him up. Maybe not in that order. He'll undo some of the damage he caused to my organization and then his partner will be left picking up the pieces. Rather literally." Newton wasn't feeling quite as amused anymore as he tried to will them into forgetting he was even there. Wished that he could disappear or just become one with the metal of the chair and get their focus away from him as they both stood too close. They were going to suffocate him with their presence; engulf him like a sun growing outwards to devour its orbiting planets. 

          "I see, well, uh, that's a shame. Seems like a waste. You know, Mr. Chau, we haven't ever settled on just what your contribution is going to be to this little, ah, business arrangement of ours." Newton kept his head down, his eyes off of them both and focused on the floor, determined he could make them turn away. These lumbering giants that intended to consume him. He was panicking; on some level he was aware he was having a panic attack but that part of him was buried too far deep to remember what to do to calm himself. Something shifted towards the back of the room. 

_I don't think the K has worn off completely._  The words echoed in his mind and Newton clung to them. This was the K, all of it. Ian Malcolm wasn't discussing his fate with a terrible Megalodon right in front of him. 

          "You haven't told me what you expect." 

          "I hadn't decided what I wanted yet. But I, uh, think I might have a suggestion. You could give me him. I mean, by all means, ha, let him cook you some of your little blue pills for this next week but then…give him to me." Newton’s leg tapped a nervous staccato beat; if his hands had been free his fingers would have been drumming it out too. Try to get the nerves out; move to get the nerves out but he couldn't move enough. He was stuck in a chair with two immeasurable masses far too close, pressing in. 

          "I'm rather looking forward to killing him. What the hell do you want him for?" 

          "Well, for a little experiment I've been working on. You see, there's a certain way to break people." Newton flinched as the Precursor took hold of his chin again. He forced Newton to look up at him as he spoke about him like he was a lab rat. "If you do it precisely enough. A little bit of pain here. A little bit of reward there. What you get at the end of it is loyalty. I've tried it on a few poor souls who...disappointed me. I think I've got it perfect, you see, but he'd be the ultimate test. By no right should he want anything to do with me but...but, if I manage it just right he'll be my faithful friend once it’s all said and done." Newton tried to pull away from him but he just tightened the hold on his chin until his jaw ached with it and his skin felt bruised. He finally let him go with a small shove that sent the chair sliding back an inch or two. "I mean...you want him to suffer I'm assuming?" 

          "You know...I think we might just have a deal." Chau grinned at him and they both were suddenly turning their backs on him like he didn't matter. Newton felt claustrophobic as he tried to breath; tried to remind himself to take deep slow breathes. He looked around the room trying to find Chuck but all he could see were faceless people; faceless men staring and shuffling and waiting for those who directed them to make some order. 

          "Scott, my boy! I am glad to see that you made it out of there. Have you decided to come work for me yet?" Newton glanced in the direction of the Precursor's voice and found Chuck smiling uncomfortably as the man patted his shoulder. "Ah, I kid. Don't worry but if you did ever need a change of pace." Precursor made an exaggerated wince as he motioned around the room; ignored Chau's glowering from two feet away from him. 

          "I appreciate the offer, sir. I'm good where I'm at for now." This earned him a wink before Chau decided to escort his guest out of the room. 

          "Scott, get him to work. I want four batches." Chau snapped the command as if making one last point that this was his place and his people before they disappeared. The rest of the men followed as the two seemed to talk business and Newton felt like he could breathe again. Figuratively. Because literally it was still difficult to breathe with the gag in his mouth and the movement of the chair seemed to have snagged the chain making the collar a bit tight around his throat. Chuck waited long enough, more than long enough in Newton's opinion, before he moved over to him to help get him free. The moment the gag was loosened words started to tumble out of Newton's mouth. 

          "What the hell? What the hell was that? Why the hell is chaos theory requesting me as some sort of bid in their contract?  _That's_  the guy you all are worked up over? Like, shit...fuck...I can't, I can't...why is the room spinning?" Chuck had started to try and get him to shut up part way through but Newton kept rambling forward as his arms were finally released from the cuffs. When he stood up out of the chair Chuck finally stepped up into his space to gently but firmly press a finger against his lips. 

          "The room's spinning because you are still a bit buzzed on the K. And yes, that's the guy we're worked up over. You were supposed to keep your head down and stay quiet." Chuck spoke in a low whisper as he glanced towards the door several times. Newton frowned and looked but no one was there. He really hoped he was right and no one was there. That it wasn’t just a case of him not being able to see who was standing there.

          "Sorry, sorry...like you said; the K's still getting to me." Newton snapped and tried to give Chuck a shove in irritation that only resulted in him almost falling backwards instead. Chuck caught him, eyes looking nervously towards the door once more, before he nudged Newton in the direction of the single table. At some point a few pieces of basic lab equipment had been placed there and Newton frowned at it in confusion. 

          "I hate to say it but you need to work. If you're working no one will bother you, it's too important to Chau that you get batches out. If you're working they also won't force you to take any more." Newton sat in the slightly more comfortable chair that was at the table and shook his head. He couldn't make K like this; he had half the equipment and wouldn't even be able to form the pills right. "Look, I'm going to get us out of here as fast as possible but you have to cook. You're going to need a clear head and that’s the best way to guarantee they let you.”

          Newton nodded numbly as he looked at the items he had. He could make Blue with them but it would take a bit more work. It wouldn’t be the same quality and there would have to be capsules. Chuck patted him on the shoulder before pulling away as he moved to grab some of the reagents he needed to start. He actually had been paying attention all those times he’d watched Newton and asked questions about the process. Newt appreciated the help especially since moving still felt like a chore. A painful chore.

          “I’ll be here most of the time. I’ve convinced Chau that I have an interest in learning how to cook from you so that I can be the main one in charge of watching you. I’m going to have to leave later today though. Meet up with my partner and try to get our escape set up. We’re not going to be able to keep doing this though. Some of the guys who didn’t like me to begin with are talking that I’m attached.” Chuck started getting set up for him; setting things down in some sort of approximation of where Newton would have wanted them. It wasn’t quite right though and Newton sighed as he set about tweaking it all into place so his work flow would go smoothly. Or as smoothly as it could given what he had to work with.

          “Yeah, okay, I get that. I do. I’ll get to work on this; do you know how long though?” Newton grabbed the box of gloves and dug a couple out. They were older and had obviously been sitting for a while. They were a little stiff and discolored with age but they still managed to slide into place without tearing. Chuck frowned as he grabbed the last of the supplies and didn’t say anything right away. His eyes kept going to the door like he expected someone to walk through it even though they’d been left alone so far. Maybe it was just having the Precursor guy here; he had clearly set everyone on edge. And he was Chuck’s mark, the entire reason he’d been undercover with Chau. That would be going away with this.

          “Hopefully just a day or two. Things are too tense here. When it happens; you and I, we just get out of here okay?”

          “Okay,” Newton said with a small frown. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to be the one to make them hesitate about getting out of there but still. Chuck gave one last short nod as he surveyed the table. “Gloves.” If ‘Scott’ was supposed to be learning from him they needed to look the part. Newton set to work as Chuck gloved up. Tried not to let that rising sense of paranoia settle into his core. Tried to pay no mind to the thing that hovered near the back of the room. Reminded himself it wasn’t really there or Chuck would be reacting to it too.

 

          It had taken a little bit of work to convince Chau to let him go. He’d made the story about his sister something familiar over the months so it wouldn’t be something out of left field in this sort of situation. Still, Chuck knew he was probably being tailed just to make sure given the current high tensions and state of suspicion that was the remaining pieces of Chau’s organization. He walked up to the café that they had agreed to through their texts and stepped in to find Mako sitting at one of the tables.

          She was dressed in her street clothes, a beanie pulled down over her hair as she drank from some syrupy looking concoction. Chuck spotted Alexys sitting near the back with a book of sudoku and glasses perched on his nose as their back up. For a man of such large presence he had the uncanny ability to disappear into the background if you weren’t looking for him. Chuck slid into the chair across from Mako and gave her a tense smile.

          “Hey.”

          “Hey? That’s all you’ve got for me after making me come clear across town to meet up with you?” Mako quirked a brow at him and he rolled his eyes. Chuck glanced around the café and sure enough spotted one of Chau’s other guys, Owen, now standing in line to get a drink. So, they weren’t really being inconspicuous about it then. That could be good or bad; could swing either way.

          “Look, shit happened. I didn’t have any control over it. Warehouse got busted; we had to move and Chau’s pissed.” Chuck spoke quietly as he leaned over the table. Mako shifted in her chair to give him a concerned look.

          “Everything’s okay though, right? What am I supposed to do if you get busted, Scott?” Chuck dug his wallet out of his pocket as she spoke; made her words a little louder as Owen wandered past with his drink. Chuck watched him and he gave a smile and wave before going to sit towards the front of the café. Mako watched him too; waited for him to put some distance between them before leaning forward. “Look, I talked with ‘dad’. Maybe we get you out of this; you come back and help him out instead.”

          “It’s more complicated than that. I already convinced Chau to let me learn how to cook from this agent they snagged. Guy only has until the end of the week and then Chau’s going to ship him off to Precursor as some sort of torture experiment. Look, here’s the cash I’ve got. Take it and make it last. Don’t just spend it.” Chuck counted out the cash and made sure the bill with the address of their hideout scribbled on it was on the top before he handed it to her. She snagged it and leaned back in her chair to count it out; to make a mental note of that address before she shoved the fold of cash into her pocket.  

          “So, you’re going to be a big time cook for the guy who just got his ass busted?” Mako’s demeanor relaxed a little that was part show and part truth. They’d find them now and set some plan in motion to get them out.

          “I don’t know. Maybe. That Precursor guy has made a few comments that seem almost like job offers.” Mako narrowed her eyes at him and he gave a soft shrug. Maybe he didn’t have to get out if they could get Geiszler out. And no one would blame ‘Scott’ for bailing on Chau after two raids. Wouldn’t blame him for taking Precursor up on the offer.

          “Jin says he’s a creep. That he’s rough on his guys and that they seem to constantly move all over the place. How you going to visit if you’re off running around with some guy who, as you said, takes people for torture experiments. That’s kind of above your normal pay grade there, Scottie.” Pentecost must have decided it wouldn’t be good to let him go in that far. It had been the original plan but with everything that had happened its risk factor had just increased. With a second bust to get Geiszler out, even if Chuck’s cover didn’t get blown in the process, he’d be gambling with his life going to Precursor after that.

          “Yeah, well, it’s an idea. The money would probably be good. I can’t be gone long, Wen.” They had passed what they needed, at least mostly, and it was true he couldn’t linger. The longer they talked the more likely it would be questioned what he had said. Mako pursed her lips before jumping up with a smile that looked less enthusiastic. “I’ll keep in touch. Try and let you know when I can get you some more. Remember though; don’t go tossing it all away on shit. I don’t know how long it’s gonna be before I can meet again.”

          “Yeah, yeah. It’s fine. I’ll talk with dad if I need to.” Chuck shifted out of his seat and Mako moved to give him a hug. She squeezed him tightly and Chuck caught Alexys’ eye from over her shoulder for just a second. “Twelve hours. That’s the proposed timeline. Might be tomorrow around dawn. Watch your texts; we’ll be listening.” She whispered the words to him and, as they parted, she acted like she was fixing the collar of his sweatshirt before smoothing it down. He felt the press of the thin bug attached just inside and he gave her a small smile.

          “Take care of yourself, Wen. Don’t let the old man give you too much shit, okay?” He turned to head back out of the café; his tail standing and moving with him as they both stepped outside. Owen fell in besides with him as they headed back down the street towards the hide out. He had picked the café purposefully since it was close and would let him walk. “Didn’t realize I needed an escort.”

          “Ah, well, I think Chau wanted to make sure you weren’t running off to join that Precursor guy’s group after this morning. Your sister is cute.”

          “You’re really not her type and she’d probably kick your ass anyway.” Chuck gave him a soft joking shove and Owen laughed as they crossed the street. He glanced at his watch to check the time; marked it in his mind. Twelve hours. They could manage that. At least he hoped they could manage that.

 

          Newton was trying to work. He was on his third batch now as he waited for Chuck to get back from his meeting with his partner. Fucking Matt was the one who had apparently volunteered to watch him though while Chuck was gone. The K had worn off completely at last and Newton wasn’t experiencing anymore time jumps and warps in reality at the very least. He was experiencing paranoia and irritation though.

          He felt Matt lean in close, not for the first time, as he carefully tried to pour the next ingredient into the flask. Could feel the tickle of his breath against his ear and Newton tried to steady himself before the pin could drop. It’d been doing little things, things Newton knew were intended to intimidate, annoy and possibly make him mess up. Matt didn’t have a very good sense of self preservation given if Newton messed up at certain steps it could lead to some rather noxious fumes. The flick to his ear was sharp but managed to fade back into the general overall pain he was in. It was still annoying. And had bene startling the first time he’d done it out of no where.

          “So, what did you do for Scott that made him convince Chau not to kill you right away?” Newton set the flask down maybe a little harder than he should have as he turned to face Matt who gave him a smile. “You offer him some sort of deal? You offer to do him some…favors or what?”

          “I didn’t offer him anything. He, apparently, has decided he wants to learn how to cook from me. I’m guessing he has his own aspirations. Now, unless you want me to accidentally mix the wrong thing at the wrong time in this fucking jail cell where we have little to no ventilation and we’ll both end up dead quick and without warning; back the fuck off.” Newton knew he shouldn’t have responded. Should have just kept trying to work or, if anything, responded with less venom in his words. Matt grated on his nerves though and he didn’t think questions about why ‘Scott’ had gotten Chau to spare him in the first place were the best thing to leave hanging.

          He paid for it with a painful blow to his gut that had him doubling over and gasping for air. Matt grabbed him by the hair to drag him out of the chair and Newton tried to pull away. He had too tight of a hold on him for it to do any good and Matt shoved him back into the table that skidded and threatened to tip. Some of the contents did tip as he heard glass shatter and Newton scrambled away from the table as his pulse spiked. His ribs were screaming at him and his heart was pounding loud and unruly in his chest as Matt stepped up so Newton was trapped between him and the table.

          “It would be a shame if some kind of accident took you out early there, Agent.”

          “Hey, what the hell’s going on?” Newton fought to keep the relief he felt at hearing Chuck’s voice from showing as he stared at Matt, just in case, he made another move. Matt just smiled, vicious and sharp as he moved to step around him and the table. Glass was shattered on the floor as well as a small puddle of clear liquid Newton hoped wasn’t anything caustic. Some of the other flasks had sloshed their contents out onto the surface of the table and Newton felt that itch rise up.

          “Nothing, Scott. Just a little stumble. I think the fumes are getting to him.” Matt checked shoulders with Chuck on his way past before he stepped out of the door. Chuck closed the door behind him as he gave Newton a look like he was responsible for this.

          “Water. I need water. I don’t…did any get on me?” The look of irritation faded from Chuck’s face and Newton felt his panic rise up to try and swallow him. He tried to take a few deep breathes to steady his nerve enough he could make an actual assessment of the damage. Doing that made that pain in his ribs spike even worse; sharp in a way that made him wonder if one was broken. Chuck grabbed a bottle of water that he been left sitting next to the wall at some point and handed it to him.

          Newton dumped the water out over his arms and hands. It wasn’t enough, wouldn’t be enough. Had it gotten on his shirt, was it soaking in next to his skin? He started to scrabble at his shirt but Chuck stopped him; already part way around him to check for the same thing Newton was scared of.

          “I don’t see any on your clothes, Geiszler, you’re good. Just breathe.” Chuck gave him what Newton thought was maybe supposed to be a reassuring look but just came across as stern. He nodded though, closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds to try and regain his focus and composure. He hadn’t gotten anything on him, he was fine, he needed to clean up the damage before anything that shouldn’t mix mixed. “Good, take a few more breaths and then we’ll get this cleaned up and you can start again.”

          Newton gave a nervous little laugh at the thought he was still going to have to cook. He was still expected to restart the batch he’d been working on and then another batch after that. He’d been going since early that morning but Newton didn’t have a great grasp on time. It would likely have taken him fifteen hours of work total to complete four full batches from start to finish and that would have been working without distractions.

          “You might want to start telling them why the hell you bothered convincing Chau to keep me alive, Scott. I’d rather not be the one dealing with them thinking up rumors.” Newton got a hold of himself enough to refocus on a different issue as he moved to get a fresh pair of gloves after some careful scrutiny of the box to make sure they weren’t all contaminated. They’d been on the far end away from the glassware and had managed not to fall victim to the disruption. He pulled a new pair on as he gave Chuck a look to try and express that he was serious about that. Neither of them needed to be under too much scrutiny right then.

          Chuck glanced towards the door seeming to check that they were honestly alone before he grabbed a pair of gloves to help. Really, it was still a risk, but Newton appreciated the help as Chuck dove into cleaning up the spilled reagents with a lot less hesitation than he felt. His heart was still beating at an alarmingly quick rate and his hands were shaking. He felt an unusual sort of itch, a thirst or hunger for something he couldn’t identify. It was weak but it was there as he did his best to reel himself back in completely.

          “I have told them and Chau knows himself. You teach me how to cook we won’t be screwed once you’ve been shipped off to Precursor.” This Chuck said at a normal tone, loud enough that anyone that was listening outside the door would probably be able to pick up on it.

          “You won’t learn shit with these conditions and even if you do you won’t be able to cook the same quality.” It was honestly the truth. He had learned to cook ‘clean’ K through a lot of practice and a lot of familiarity with it during his time running tests in the crime lab. They had been required to understand what a Kaiju Blue cook site looked like so they’d be able to identify them with little initial exposure. They needed to be able to differentiate what kind of drugs were being cooked and if the process was at a point that could be considered dangerous. Newton’s mind had naturally extrapolated from there and when talk of needing someone to go undercover had come up for Gigan he’d started actual experiments to perfect it.

          It had taken time and care; something a lot of cooks weren’t afforded in the field. For them to be suggesting that someone would be able to learn how to do it from him over the course of a week with shoddy supplies was almost offensive. It was a good that it was a cover, a new story to try and slip into, rather than the truth. Because if it was the truth, if Chuck wasn’t an agent trying to help get him out of here and he was actually shipped off to whatever that Precursor guy had planned for him, it’d be a new layer of guilt. Because it wouldn’t be good, it would likely be shoddy contaminated work that laid claim to his expertise as its inspiration even as it killed.

          “You get going on restarting the batch. I’ll get the last of this,” Chuck said as they got the table back in some sort of order. He moved to try to gather up the broken glass on the floor and Newton hovered anxiously.

          “Use a paper towel and be careful not to get nicked by the glass shards. Some of the stuff on there wouldn’t be good to be exposed to.” Chuck nodded and Newton slid his gloves off to get another fresh pair.

          The stiff feel of the gloves as they pulled into place made him think of tight skin healing from burns. Skin that pulled with movement. Newton shook his head, pushed it down the best he could, and started to get what he needed to start over. Two more batches and then what? Would they let him sleep? Would they force him to take more K?

          Newton shuddered but he felt that slight niggling at the back of his mind. Receptors that had been flooded by the drugs stimulant affect that had released dopamine into his system at a crazy level despite the hallucinogenic properties causing the terrifying experience that had been his first several hours in this place. It was that combination that helped make it so addictive. The body would want more of that feel good even if it came with hallucinations that weren’t always so pleasant or feel good.

          “Twelve hours.” Chuck spoke quieter this time as Newton tried to focus on the work and not on the itching beneath his skin. Not the down that came as the flood of chemicals were diluted out of his system.

          “What?” Newton leaned forward to look at him with a frown and tried to keep his voice quiet too. Chuck finished carefully gathering up the last of the broken glass into the bin and stood to look at him straight on.

          “They’ll be here in twelve hours. That’s all we need to manage.” Newton swallowed roughly as he realized what Chuck was saying. He’d made the contact he’d needed to make and they were ready to act. He could manage twelve hours. He’d be cooking these last two batches for a portion of that, Chuck wouldn’t be leaving again so he wouldn’t have to deal with Matt or one of the other guys hovering.

          “Twelve hours. Right. Good.” Chuck gave him a short nod and Newton took a couple of deep breaths to try and chase the last of that anxiety away before starting to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, look, evil Jeff Goldblum stuck in my head from all the Hotel Artemis trailers and then finally watching the movie. So, yes, the Precursor is basically written to be played by Jeff Goldblum. I set this up in the last chapter with his 'name' known by the team being Ian Malcolm.


	10. Presto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second bust on Chau's compound comes crashing down around them. Newton and Chuck find themselves trying to get away from Chau while Hermann and the rest of the team rush to get to them.

          Hermann took a deep breath and felt his ribs ache. It was better but mainly due to some painkillers and his own force of will. They were sitting in the back of the van staked out a short way down the road from where Newton was being held. It was still dark outside and they’d been waiting for a couple of hours now trying to get a full read on the situation. If they could hit early enough there’d be a good chance that most of Chau’s men inside would be asleep.

          “There’s two inside the door. Can’t get a good count past that with the infrared. There’s definitely some concentrated heat signatures.” The information came from over the radio; Alexys speaking from where he was stationed around the side of the building. They had a general idea of how many men Chau had from Agent Hansen. The bug he’d been given earlier in the day had remained active and he’d found subtle ways of trying to pass on information. Newton’s voice had been heard too and Hermann clung to it every time. 

          “They’ll be changing watch in about ten.” Chuck Hansen’s voice came over the connection louder than the background level as he likely spoke directly into the bug and Hermann glanced towards Herc. He was composed and in command of the situation but there was a tension in his jaw that betrayed his own feelings.

          “Let’s be ready to go in once we see some movement to change the guard. Catch them in that transition. Agents Hansen and Geiszler are currently alone in the room thought there are some of Chau’s men close by. Everyone be ready for the signal.” Pentecost’s voice came over the radio this time and Herc gave his group a nod. Hermann met his eyes for a second and he tried to muster some sense of confidence that this would go smoothly.

          The lab was towards the back of the building. Just like the warehouse Chau had apparently altered the floor plan here. The building itself had served several different purposes over the years before it had fallen empty and then passed into Chau’s hands. From what they’d been able to gather there was a series of hallways that led to different offices and rooms. He’d used it once as a sort of headquarters during his earlier years and then abandoned it when he was able to obtain spaces better suited for his work. It meant it would take time to clear out; to move safely through while avoiding anyone taking advantage of those hiding spaces.

          The lab was Hermann’s goal. Newton was his goal.

 

          Newton had finished the last of the four batches Chau had demanded. By the end of it he was feeling strained and exhausted. He knew he’d been up probably close to twenty hours just to get it all done. Chuck had helped him on the last batch, something that had been easily passed off as him practicing. Newton hadn’t fully trusted himself to be able to get the correct volumes poured or for his hands to be steady enough to not spill anything.

          He was also hungry and thirsty. Chuck had managed to sneak him some bits of food but it had been small bits carefully passed when food was brought in. It seemed like they were trusting one or two guys to run out from time to time on food runs but he wasn’t being taken into consideration. He was ready to curl up and sleep; to get some rest and hopefully when he woke up it would be time for them to be getting out of there. Chuck had taken the last batch over and passed it through the door to whoever was out there a bit ago.

          “They’ll be changing watch in about ten.” Newton glanced up at him from where he was curled up on the floor as Chuck spoke quietly with his head ducked towards his chest; passing what information he could manage through the wire they’d given him earlier. Too bad that wire didn’t go two ways. Chuck glanced in his direction when he seemed to realize Newton was watching him. “Don’t get too comfortable.”

          Newton felt a small spike of adrenaline as he took the meaning. There was a chance they’d need to run the moment the raid started. Eliminating Newton would probably be on at least a few of the men’s list of goals when they realized what was happening. There were two outside the door at all times and if they decided to come this way rather than to make their escape it could be trouble. The collar around his neck was going to be a big problem. Chuck had tried to get the key for it but Chau was holding it close. They’d have to find some way to break the chain which Newton had a few ideas for that.

          The door opening made them both start a little and Newton heard a barely audible curse come from Chuck. Newton scrambled to his feet as he saw Chau enter the room looking an odd combination of annoyed and pleased.

          “Just got that last batch of K, Geiszler, good job. I should have been pushing you to make more back when I thought you were just some cocky cook.” Chuck didn’t quite step in between them, not in an obviously intentional manner, but he definitely tried to catch Chau’s attention so it wasn’t focused on him.

          “I heard Precursor finally officially agreed to the deal earlier.” Chau looked at Chuck and patted him condescendingly on the cheek. Matt had stepped into the room behind him and had circled around Chau as he gave Newton a grin. Newton watched him with an antsy feeling; doubted he was there just for the company.

          “He did. I wanted to say I appreciate that you stuck by me there, Scott. Some of my guys wouldn’t have thought twice about jumping ship to take him up on an offer to work for him.” Chau glanced towards Matt as he said this. “Hurry up and just give him the K, idiot.” Chau barked the words at Matt as he circled Newton and gave a tug at the chain. Newton tried to pull away at the words but Matt managed to snag him by the shirt and shove him against the wall. It set starbursts in front of his vision as the pain in his ribs came back to life like fire.

          “Precursor’s not going to be pissed about you continuing to give him that shit?” He heard Chuck’s question, the insistent tone as Matt tried to force the pill into his mouth. Newton clenched his teeth as he fought against it; knew that he needed to not be drugged now. Not now. Not again and not when they were going to have to run.

          “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Besides, I don’t think he cares all that much.” Chau spoke dismissively before he set a hand on Chuck’s shoulder to pull his attention away from Newton and Matt. “Scott, I wanted to talk to you about maybe stepping up after all this mess is over with. I appreciate your determination to learn how to cook but you’re smarter than you like to act. That fucking loon seems to like you too; I’ll need someone to help handle distribution-“

          The shoddy pill case he’d been made to use split and Newton felt the wetness of the blue on his lips. Matt cursed as he wiped his hand on Newton’s shirt before smacking him in the back of the head. Chuck had turned to look back at Chau when his words had died off and the two of them seemed focused on something on Chuck’s shoulder. Newton could taste the blue now, fought the impulse to lick at the beads of liquid on his lips.

          “Boss; we’ve got a problem. Feds just busted down the front door!” The words crackled out of a radio on Chau’s hip who was staring at Chuck with a look of anger. Newton watched as there seemed to be realization between the two men while Matt still cursed at him seeming to have not heard that anything was wrong.

          Chau drew his gun first and Chuck moved to block him from raising it. Newton threw his elbow back into Matt’s face then as the idiot finally seemed to realize that something was going on. It was enough to break him free and Newton tried to put some distance between them. A shot rang out, loud and thunderous in the small room, and Newton ducked behind the table. He tried then, tried to wipe at his mouth to get the K off but he knew some of it had already gotten into his mouth; already soaking in through his mucosa membrane. Not a full dose but likely enough of one. They needed out of there before it hit; needed to get away from Chau and Matt and anyone else who was going to try and get in their way out of here.

          He glanced over the top to see Chuck manage to disarm Chau and land a punch. Matt was heading in their direction now and Newton panicked as he grabbed some of the glassware on the table. He aimed it carefully before tossing it and honestly felt it was a miracle when it made its mark to hit Matt in the back of the head. It didn’t affect him quite as much as Newton had hoped but it had served its purpose as the man turned back towards him with a murderous look. Newton stepped behind the table, tried to keep the distance between them for a bit longer, but Matt grabbed the damn chain and pulled hard.

          And he continued to pull; dragged Newton around the table as he struggled to keep his footing and resist being pulled closer. The collar pulled tight against his throat as Matt got him within reach and tried to hold him there as he swung. Newton managed to block the first hit but it sent sparks of pain through him; reminders of his already bruised muscles. Newton raised his knee and felt it connect with Matt’s groin. He was loose for a few seconds once more and he scrambled back to the table to grab one of the beakers. This time when Matt dragged him backwards with a painful and wrenching pull of the chain Newton purposefully moved with the momentum.

          He slammed the beaker into Matt’s face with force; the glass shattering and cutting up his hand though it did the most damage to Matt who pulled away with a pained string of curses and screams. Someone else came at him then and Newton got ready to take a swing only for Chuck to grab him and pull him down low behind the table. A few more shots reverberated through the room as Chuck shoulder the table over to be a barrier between them and Chau who had apparently gotten his gun back.

          “You’re bleeding.” Newton said it numbly as he noticed Chuck’s shirt had bloomed red at his shoulder.

          “So are you.” Chuck was messing with a key ring and Newton flinched at first when he reached for the collar before it settled into his head that the keys were to get him free of it. Matt was saying something to Chau as Chuck tried to figure out which of the keys went with the lock. Newton leaned to try and peer around the edge of the table to make sure they weren’t about to get surprised but Chau was looking at Matt with fury.

          “Shut the hell up, Matt, you useless piece of shit.” Chau lifted the gun at Matt who had blood running down his face from where the glass had cut. He didn’t even have a chance to react before Chau pulled the trigger and Newton pulled himself back behind the table.

          “Shit.” Newton mumbled the word as he felt the floor dip. There was a click somewhere close to his right shoulder and the collar was being pulled off by Chuck who chanced a glance over the table.

          “Shit.” He repeated Newton’s sentiment as he realized what had happened. He grabbed Newton and pulled him to the right side of the table as the sound of Chau’s footsteps moved across the room slow and deliberate.

          “So, are you a fucking fed or are you just a rat, Scott? Hm?” Newton kept his eyes on Chuck, watched for the sign to move that had to be coming at some point.

          “Sorry to break it to you but I’m a fed.” Chuck called out in response and Chau gave a laugh that sounded entirely unamused. Chuck gave Newton’s arm a gentle tug to draw his focus on him. "We're going to run on three." Chuck mouthed the words to him in a whisper and Newton nodded.

          The table wasn't going to do much for them if Chau just started firing and by the sounds of his footsteps making a slow circuit to move around it anyway. Chuck peeked over the top of it and ducked quickly when another shot rang out. Newton was trying to hold tight onto reality. Tried to fight off those small hints of the drug kicking in.

          "One." Newton tensed and took a couple deep breaths as he kept his eyes on Chuck. The chain was suddenly pulled by some force as it dragged the collar away with him no longer attached. "Two."

          He could hear those footsteps and a growl of something approaching them. It was Chau and nothing else. He reminded himself of that as his mind tried to conjure up all sorts of things that could have made the noise. It was only Chau which wasn't actually all that better. Did little to comfort him or help him swallow down that fear.

          "Three." Chuck spoke this out loud as he grabbed hold of Newton and half dragged him up from behind the table. He fired off a few shots in Chau's direction as they ran for the door. Newton felt a new pain burst in his side but kept pushing forward. He heard Chuck's curse as he ducked through the doorway and reached to pull Newton along with him. 

          And Newton followed. Hoped that Chuck wasn't leading them blindly through the halls and had a destination in mind as they cut corners. Shots rang out behind them from time to time as Chau definitely gave chase. Newton's hand felt numb, the pain of the cuts left by the shattered glass fading. They rounded a corner and Chuck suddenly wrenched around to grab Newton. He gave a startled cry as he was pushed through the wall, seemed to phase through it into a small dark room full of empty shelves and dust.

          It took Newton a moment to realize there was a door. That Chuck had pushed him through the door and was talking to him in a hushed and hurried voice. 

          "Take a left after that. I'll lead him away and then try to circle back to meet up with you. Make sure he's gone before you come back out of here." Newton realized he had missed the first half of what he'd said. Felt the panic set in as Chuck moved to close the door to leave him alone in the small dark room. He was gone; gone before Newton had a chance to protest against the plan or explain he didn't know what he was supposed to do before that taking a left. 

          He heard Chuck's footsteps retreat away and he looked down at himself as he pulled away from the door. His right hand was bloody and still bleeding in places and his shirt had blood on it too that he didn't quite understand. He had a cramp in his side from the running and he could feel the world taking dips along its orbit. That last one might had been the K. The darkness seemed to press in on him and he took a few gulping breaths as he tried to steady himself.

          Footsteps outside the door again had him freezing in place. How long ago had Chuck left? Was that Chau finally passing by? Newton stepped further back into the closeted space; hoped the door would remain closed. Equally hoped that the door would open so he wasn't trapped alone in the dark anymore. The footsteps retreated in the same direction as Chuck's had and Newton stood there debating. Should he go? Was it a trick? Was something in the room with him? Was something outside the door waiting for him? 

          His scalp itched and his hands throbbed and that cramp in his side should really be loosening now. He pressed his left hand against it and it came away wet with blood. Why was he bleeding? Was he actually bleeding or was it the K? Newton couldn't focus enough to be sure. Had he been shot? He would know if he'd been shot, wouldn't he? Newton pursed his lips, tried to gauge how long he'd been in the dark. 

          He would count to ten. Give it ten more seconds and if he didn't hear anything else from out in the hall he would go. He took a breath and then silently in his head started to count as he strained to listen in case Chau or someone else was still lingering out there. He got up to eight and he thought he heard something shift. Some large body moving out in the hall and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. The thing that had been lurking in the lab the other night; had it found him? It had been large but he'd never gotten a good look at it. It was too fast; too fleeting. _That was the K. That wasn’t actually there._  

          Newton held his breath for a moment and then started again.  _One. Two. Three..._

 

          Chuck had made sure to try and continue leaving a trail as he moved down the hallway. Newton had been bleeding more than him between the cuts on his hand and the shot in his side. If their trail just cut off Chau would figure out where he was. He hoped Newton had paid attention. He had started to get that distant look in his eyes but Chuck couldn't stand there outside the storage closet any longer without risking Chau just finding them both there. 

          He checked that he wasn't going to run into someone else as he took a couple of turns down the halls. He stopped then and waited with his back pressed against the wall near the corner. He needed to get Chau unarmed and preferably restrained. Then he would need to get back to Newton if the rest of the team hadn't already. 

          "We could really use your help guys." He muttered the words as he did a quick check on his phone. If Chau hadn't felt the damn bug...

          It wouldn't have mattered. The moment they'd gotten the call about the raid starting Chau and Matt would have gone for Geiszler. And the moment they did that he would have acted to get in their way. It had all gone to shit like everything else in this operation. He pressed a little further back against the wall as he heard footsteps; gritted his teeth against the pain in his shoulder from the bullet Chau had managed to land there. 

          "So...if your name isn't Scott, what is it?" Chau's voice came from closer than he would have liked. 

          "Chuck." He answered as he got ready; made sure he had one loaded as he stepped a little closer to the corner. 

          "Chuck, huh? Well, Chuck, one of you is bleeding a lot worse than the other so don't think I'm fooled that Geiszler is with you. Even if he was, he'll be out of his head by now. Doesn't take long for the K to take hold though I suppose you saw that the other night." Chau sounded like he was pressed against the wall right beside him. Chuck shifted carefully, turned so he could move around the corner with his gun already raised. Chau grinned at him as he came into sight with his own weapon up and tracking him. 

          "If you knew we split then why'd you follow me rather than going for him?" Chau shifted away from the wall to move a little closer and Chuck motioned for him to stop. 

          "Oh, he's too busy trying to count up his courage in there. I take care of you then I'll go back and take care of him. Hell, might not even have to open the door. Looks like your shoulder's bleeding pretty bad there,  _Chuck_ , sure you're going to have very good aim like that." 

          "Hannibal Chau, you are under arrest." Chau scoffed but Chuck continued forward as he stepped to keep some distance between them. "You have the right to remain silent-" He saw Chau shift and he reached out to grab his wrist; push it to the side as the gun went off far too close for comfort. Chuck raised his knee, slammed it into Chau's side as he tried to get him to drop the gun. 

          He had found out back in the makeshift lab that Chau was just as strong as he looked. Chau used that strength now to haul Chuck up and over his shoulder to let him slam down to the ground. Both of their guns scattered across the floor but Chau was on his feet while Chuck wasn't. He decided to change that as he took a kick at the man's knee before he could fully turn.

          Chau dropped and Chuck scrambled to get to his feet and back to his gun. When he turned with it raised he found Chau's hand resting on his own though he hadn't been fast enough to get it lifted up. 

          "Ha...well, I guess you've got me, Chuck." Chau moved to climb to his feet though he left the gun where it was. He held up his hands as he walked towards him with a smile. Chuck frowned as he noticed him look past him; over his shoulder at something else. 

          "Stay where you are." 

          "I'm trying to surrender, Agent. That's all. Isn't that right?" Chau called it out as he looked past Chuck again. Chuck shifted; kept the gun on Chau but tried to chance a glance over his shoulder against his better judgement. He cursed as he saw no one was there; tried to turn back quick enough but Chau was already on him tackling him down. He got one shot fired off that went wide before the gun was wrenched from his hand. 

The first blow to the head was enough to daze him and the ones that followed in quick succession filled his mouth up with the taste of blood. He got his arms up, tried to block and get some sort of upper hand. 

          "Boss?" The voice came from down the hall and Chau let up long enough to look to see who was there. Chuck tried to spit some of the blood out of his mouth, tried to get a good breath in around it. “They’re in the building now. If we’re getting out…”

          “How many of the guys are there, Paul?” Chuck risked the punch as Chau responded. It landed squarely on his jaw and Chuck managed to use the momentum to push him back off of him. He scrambled to his feet knowing it was time to get out. To get Geiszler and find the team. “What the hell are you waiting for? Fucking shoot him!”

          He tried to get around the corner before the shot went off but it resounded behind him. The bullet ricocheted off the wall and Chau gave a curse behind him as he ordered Paul to go after him while he went back for Geiszler. Chuck ducked down a side hall, hoped that Geiszler had done what he told him. His head spun and he knew that initial blow had likely done some sort of damage.

          He stopped to lean against the wall against his better judgement, tried to get his bearings as he hoped Paul was still moving too slow to have kept track of him. Geiszler had better have made his way back towards the side entrance. Part of him had the sinking feeling that he was exactly where Chau said he was; still in the damn storage closet suffering   from the K-Blue taking over. He sighed as he felt the gun press against his temple and tilted his head to look at Paul who still had a brace on his leg to help support it. Chuck was amazed he’d managed to be on his feet at all.

          “Did you make a deal or something? Why am I supposed to shoot you?” Chuck sighed as he squared his shoulders painfully as he pulled away from the wall to face Paul.

          “Does it matter?” He’d fight if he could, part of him hoped he wouldn’t have to, but he was more than ready to if it came down to it. He had told Geiszler he’d meet him; had no intention of leaving him behind after all this shit.

          “It might.” Paul gave a soft shrug, glanced down the hall when some voices carried. If Chuck was lucky it’d be someone on his team finally able to make their way further into the building.

          “And if I’m one of the feds?” Paul seemed surprised by this and Chuck tried to gauge the best way to get him disarmed if it came to it. He was already injured, the leg would be a weak spot, take him off balance with that while trying to get the gun out of his hand. It would be his only shot and he’d have to take it.

          “Then I guess maybe I’d have to say put in a good word for me?” Paul lowered his gun as he gave a sigh. “I signed up to make money selling drugs; not fucking murder.”

          “Well, mate, shouldn’t have gotten in with a guy like Chau but…I’ll see what I can do. I need you to give me that gun though.” Chuck held his hand out while keeping an eye on Paul’s weapon. He seemed to hesitate for a moment as something drew his focus behind Chuck again. He recognized Mako’s voice coming from somewhere close by. They’d obviously gotten through the door and made their way inside now. “Look, an Agent Mori is probably going to be coming around the corner in a few moments by the sounds of it, mate. As long as you don’t go doing any bullshit she’ll get you set up if you tell her we have an agreement, alright?”

          “You going after Chau?” Paul handed him the gun then and Chuck felt some relief.

          “More I’m going after Agent Geiszler but I have a feeling it’s the same thing.” Chuck clapped Paul on the shoulder as he stepped around him and carefully placed the gun into his holster.

 

          Getting in had taken longer than Hermann had hoped. They had been in place ready to go; the guards were supposed to change at the door. When they’d pushed through, they’d managed to catch the guards who had been standing watch and their replacements off guard. Unfortunately, more of the men must have been near the front of the building because shortly down that first hall they’d hit resistance. A small group of Chau’s men had hold up down the main hallway and they had notified the rest. They’d managed to eventually get them pinned down and then rounded up.

          Hermann had headed towards the lab the moment they’d been able to get through to try and clear the rest of the building. Tendo had originally been following him until another of Chau’s men had made a move on them from one of the side rooms. They’d gotten him to surrender and handcuffed him and when Tendo moved to take him towards the front where the others were being held Hermann had slipped away. It was taking far too long; too much could be happening further back in the building with Newton. Hermann knew it was against his better judgement to continue forward but by their count they’d found most of Chau’s men already. What he needed to do was to find Newton.

          Hermann stopped outside the door that should have belonged to the lab according to the information they had been able to gather during the time Chuck Hansen had been bugged and inside. He’d done his best to feed them more information as he could safely. The room was silent but Hermann had somewhat expected that. It had been a hopeful thought to think he’d find Newton here given what they’d been told over the radio of Chuck stating they’d been on the move.

          Still, the lab had seemed like it would be the best bet to try and find where they were at this point. The bug had dropped off at one point, possibly damaged in a fight, and they’d be working blind. Hermann looked down at the floor where a trail of blood seemed to move out from the doorway and down the hall. Hermann pursed his lips and nudged the door open to take a look inside so he could feel certain that the space was cleared.

          “Hermann, where are you at?” Tendo’s voice came over the radio sounding irritation as he looked inside and found the body lying inside. Hermann recognized him; Matt, the one who had agitated Newton so much in the lab before. He’d been shot point blank and the rest of the room looked like it had been turned into a small battle zone. No one was left inside though, the space empty and silent. “Hermann.”

          “I’m back by the lab. There’s a body here, one of Chau’s men, but no sign of Agents Geiszler or Hansen. I’m going to move further in.” Hermann responded more so that his team wouldn’t be worried something had happened. But then he turned the volume on his radio down as he let the door close. He knew that Tendo would have argued with him about moving forward on his own but Hermann had a single purpose. Find Newton and get him out safely before something permanent could happen to him.  

          He started down the hall following the drops of blood. Hermann hadn’t thought it was possible for his concern and fear for Newton to intensify but it was as he saw the fairly steady trail of blood dotted along the floor and smeared in places on the wall. He moved quickly, checking around corners as he moved through the building that seemed almost eerily silent now.

          Hermann glanced around a corner and froze for a second as he spotted Chau. He was standing outside of a closed door that had blood smeared along the edge of it. He pulled back as Chau started to look up in his direction and stay tucked back behind that corner. He waited a few seconds before peeking around the corner once more. He watched as Hannibal pulled the door open and Newton came spilling out with it. His heart stopped in his chest at the sight of him trying to catch his footing and knock Chau’s hands away. Hermann took a deep breath before he moved out from around the corner as Chau slammed Newton against the wall; his hand pressing tight around his neck.

          “Chau, let him go.” Hermann kept his gun aimed at Chau as he momentarily froze in place before a smile slid over his features. He pulled Newton close, held him against his chest as he pressed his own weapon against his temple.

          “Agent Gottlieb.”

          “Hermann?” Newton sounded confused as if he wasn’t sure Hermann was actually there. Hermann met his gaze and Newton’s eyes looked dark as if they had dilated. Hermann felt an anger rise up in him as he understood what it meant.  

          “The way I see it all I have to do is pull this trigger. Granted, he’s not doing so great, are you Agent Geiszler?” Newton gave a gasp of pain as Chau pressed his hand into his side where blood had pooled on his shirt. He was staying just tucked behind Newton enough he didn’t have a shot. Even if he did it wouldn’t take much and the gun against Newton’s temple would go off as well. “Unless you want him dead, I’d suggest you put your weapon down.”

          Hermann watched Newton’s face; held eye contract with him to try and determine how out of it he was. He slowly moved to lower his weapon to the ground as he watched him and realized that Newton was counting quietly under his breath. His mouth moved in time with the numbers and Hermann saw his fingers tapping against Chau’s forearm where he had a loose hold on him.

          _One, two, three, four, five…one, two, three, four, five…_ Hermann stood slowly, cane held tightly in his right hand as he straightened. He met Newton’s eyes again and gave a soft shake of his head. Newton was planning something and Hermann was worried he was just disconnected from the situation enough not to realize how badly it could end. There was every chance if he did what Hermann suspected he was going to do that he’d end up shot anyway.

          “Now, isn’t this just precious. The three of us all together again.” Chau grinned, shifted his stance as he started to move the gun in Hermann’s direction. Hermann saw Newton’s count reach five and he paused for just a second before acting. Newton slammed his head back against Chau’s face as he pulled down on his arm. The gun went off, the bullet ricocheting off the wall somewhere to Hermann’s left as he pushed forward to help.

          He adjusted his grip on his cane as he got close enough, Newton struggling to keep some control and losing it, before Hermann took aim and swung. He felt it connect as Chau stumbled back with the impact. Newton grabbed forward to catch himself; arms taking hold of Hermann around the waist as they stumbled back. Hermann grabbed at the door frame in an attempt to keep them standing as Newton tried to get his footing and failed.

          Hermann managed to keep Newton and him from falling back by grabbing hold of the still open door. He saw Chau raise his gun and grabbed Newton by the collar to pull him back behind the door frame; pushing them both low as a couple of shots tore through the wood. Hermann gritted his teeth against a spike of pain in his knee as they heard Chau’s approaching steps. Hermann kept a hold on the handle of the door as Newton took deep pained sounding breathes and steadied himself.

          Chau came into view and they moved in tandem, Newton going low as Hermann went high. Hermann clocked Chau in the face with the end of his cane, enough force behind it to knock him off balance, before Newton hit him bodily in the center to tackle him down. The impact seemed to hurt Newton more than it did Chau but it achieved the goal of taking him off his feet. Still, Newton tried to land a few blows but his movements were a bit sluggish and stiff. Chau rolled them to get the upper hand and Hermann scrambled back to his feet to take another swing.

          Chau cursed as the cane made contact with his shoulder and changed his focus back on him. He managed to snag the end of Hermann’s cane to pull him forward. Hermann felt a familiar zing of pain up through his leg and into his hip as he twisted to try and pull the cane from Chau’s grasp. He lost that particular battle but Newton had managed to pull himself out from under Chau to put some distance between them. Hermann wanted to keep Chau’s attention off of him and he spotted Chau’s gun a few feet away.

          Chau seemed to realize what he was thinking and as he lunged to try and grab it Chau shoved the cane in his path to trip him up. Hermann landed painfully, tried to still scramble for the gun but Chau had gotten to his feet and kicked it away as he stood over him.

          “Well, that was certainly a more admirable try than I had honestly expected, Agent Gottlieb.” Hermann sucked in a few deep breaths as Chau came to stand in front of him; tacky and ridiculous shoes squaring themselves up in his view. Hermann looked up at him and paused as Chau seemed to weigh the cane in his hands. He paused because he could see someone coming slowly up behind Chau now. Chuck was moving down the hall quietly and Hermann met his eyes for just a moment before looking up at Chau. “I think I should have just killed you back then. Won’t matter now, will it?”

          “Hands behind your back.” Chuck stepped up close behind Chau, gun pressed against his back, as he moved to grab the cane. The smile fell from Chau’s face as he let Chuck slip it out of his hold. The anger on his face said enough for Hermann to push him to roll to the side before Chau’s shoe had a chance to actually connect with his face. Chuck grabbed hold of Chau to slam him against the wall; taking one of his arms to twist behind his back. “I said hands behind you back. It’s fucking over, mate. You have your cuff, Agent Gottlieb?”

          “Yes, of course.” Hermann carefully pulled himself up to his feet, tested putting weight on his left leg but found it didn’t want to support it. He unhooked his cuffs from his belt though and leaned to hand them to Chuck who managed to corral Chau’s wrist behind his back to put them in place. Hermann took a few careful steps to grab his cane from where it had been dropped by Chuck during the last of Chau’s struggles.

          “It’s just the K…it’s just the K…” Hermann frowned as he heard Newton’s voice now that the fight was over. He turned to look down the hall towards him and found him sitting with his back against the wall; head tucked between his knees and arms wrapped around himself. He felt his stomach drop as he stepped over towards him as Chuck made Chau sit down.

          “K’s a bitch of a thing, isn’t it, Agent? Eats away at the mind.”

          “Shut the hell up,” Chuck growled the words at him though he was watching Newton with concern too. Hermann carefully lowered himself down next to him; pursed his lips when Newton flinched at his touch before he looked up and saw who it was besides him.

          “It’s just the K, isn’t it? There’s nothing there, right?” Newton spoke in a hush as he nodded towards the closet that he’d been hiding in. Hermann looked up through the door to see the space empty, blood on the floor from Newton’s injuries but the shelves and room were otherwise empty.

          “There’s nothing there, darling. It will be okay.” Hermann tugged Newton to him, pressed his hand carefully against his side where the blood had soaked through his shirt. Newton curled against him and Hermann turned his radio back up as he lifted it to speak into. “I have found Agents Geiszler and Hansen. We have Chau in custody but we will need medical immediately.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this guys! This is the main climax though and, boy, do I hope I did the action justice cause there's a lot of it.


	11. Coda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermann speaks with the nurse who brought their time undercover in Chau's organization to a crashing end. Before leaving for a badly needed extended break from work he takes the chance to look into Chau's face one last time. 
> 
> Newton works on his own road of recovery; a long road that has just begun. It helps that this time he has Hermann by his side for it.

Hermann had never been overly fond of hospitals especially after his mother had passed. He had liked them even less after Gigan when he had spent several evening lurking in the hall and waiting room too guilt-ridden and nervous to actually go in to see Newton. He sat in the room now, lights dim and a steady quiet beeping marking Newton’s heartrate the only disturbance.

          They had taken him into surgery to take care of the bullet wound in his side. It had luckily been just a flesh wound more than anything. The bullet had gone straight through and it had done minimal damage. It had been the blood loss that had been the biggest issue; that and the Blue in his system. He had a number of other injuries as well; broken and bruised ribs, several stitches in his hand and some cuts and chafing from the collar they’d apparently made him wear.

          Hermann sighed as he looked up at Newton lying in the bed looking peaceful in his mildly sedated state. They wanted him to stay for one more day for monitoring but then he’d be able to go home with the understanding he had to take it easy. Hermann felt it was too soon but there was little that could be done here that couldn’t be done in the comfort of his home at this point. Well, in the comfort of Hermann’s home if Newton agreed to it. None of them were too fond of leaving him alone for a while.

          They were fairly certain that they’d gotten the majority of Chau’s men in the second bust. There was still that sense of doubt though and it had been wordlessly concluded amongst the team that they’d make sure someone was with him for a while. Hermann blinked as someone stepped into the room and Herc gave him a tired looking smile.

          “They’re releasing Chuck so I’m going to be heading out for a bit. He’s agreed to come stay at home for a bit rather than going back to his apartment right away. I think we’ve got a bit to talk about. The Beckets are still here; Raleigh just ran down to get some coffee for them but they’ll be around. You two going to be okay?” Herc spoke to Hermann but he stopped at Newton’s bedside to look down at him. He almost unconsciously scanned over Newton’s vitals on the machines around them as if making sure there wasn’t any sign for concern.

          “I believe we’ll be just fine. They said he should wake up soon. I can send you a text when he does.” Hermann shifted to try and stretch his leg out as it ached. He had a brace on his knee now to try to support it better but he’d definitely done some damage in the struggle with Chau. Herc turned that critical look on him for a moment and Hermann tried for a reassuring smile. The truth was he felt rather battered and exhausted himself. He hadn’t slept much since the bust; what time he had slept had been restless and uncomfortable in hospital chairs.

          “You take care of yourself, Gottlieb.”

          “You as well, sir.” Herc gave him a nod and gently patted Newton’s forearm before he turned to step back out of the room. After he left Hermann must have drifted off in the chair because the next thing he was aware of was someone saying his name.

          “Hermann?” He sat up feeling suddenly awake as he processed it was Newton’s voice speaking from beside him. Hermann blinked a few times before focusing on him, leaning forward so he was closer.

          “Newton, are you alright?” Newton was squinting at him though there was a flicker of relief on his face as Hermann spoke. He realized that Newton’s glasses were sitting on a side table not too far from the bed; placed there for safe keeping by one of the nurses earlier.

          “Yeah…I think so? I’m a little…groggy feeling. And I can’t see too good…oh.” Hermann had picked up Newton’s glasses and carefully placed them on his face so that he’d be able to see easier. Newton smiled as he finally focused on Hermann fully and he reached for him; fingers snagged at Hermann’s sleeve to pull him closer. Hermann stood, carefully braced himself against the side of the bed, as Newton just pulled him close. “You came for me.”

          “Of course, I did, darling. I’m so sorry it wasn’t sooner.” Both of them gave quiet noises of pain as Newton hugged him close, Hermann worrying over whether he was pulling at any of his IV lines or monitoring lines. “Newton, we need to be careful not to pull on your-“ Hermann’s words were cut off as he heard a quiet sob come from Newton who had buried his face against Hermann’s chest. He gave a soft sigh, running a hand over Newton’s hair as he kept himself carefully propped so his weight wasn’t resting on him with his other arm. “You’re safe, darling. I promise.”

          Hermann carefully settled his weight on the edge of the bed and held onto Newton as he cried out his emotions from the last several days.

          “How long have you been on Hannibal Chau’s pay roll?” It had been a couple of days since the bust. Hermann was sat across from the nurse, Miles, who had been the one to blow their cover. He had requested to be present when they interrogated him despite the fact he would have rather been at home with Newton.

          Tendo was sitting next to him asking the questions while Hermann took note of the answers even though they were recording the interrogation as well. Miles kept eyeing him and Hermann sincerely hoped his presence was making the man uncomfortable.

          “I don’t know. Maybe about two or three years.” Miles gave a shrug as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, some guy approached me and asked if I was interested in making some money. Had me selling Blue on the side. That was supposed to be it.”

          “You were selling it to addicts that you were supposed to be helping.” Hermann spoke flatly as he leveled a look at the man from over the top of his glasses. They already knew all of this from the records they had found. The information that he’d managed to pull off of Chau’s network before everything had unraveled.

          “I had a lot of debt, okay? I…had gambled a bit and lost some money. It’s how he got my name in the first place. It wasn’t supposed to be for more than a few deals but I got used to having the extra cash.” Miles’ tone was defensive and Hermann just raised an eyebrow before making note of the information. Miles’ lawyer leaned in to say something to him, seemed to be telling him to calm down before motioning for them to continue.

          “Was this the first time you were called in to administer medical care to one of Chau’s men?” Tendo asked the question to get things back on track. Miles had agreed to give a full statement after talking with his lawyer; was making a deal to give what information he could in exchange for a lesser charge.

          “No. He’s called me in before though I don’t think I was the only one. When Chau called you it usually meant it was better if you answered. Usually it was someone getting roughed up or stab in a drug deal or something like that. Nothing as major as a gunshot like this time.”

          “Did you recognize us right away?” Hermann asked the question without looking up and sat waiting for the answer. Miles seemed to hesitate to answer as the silence stretched for a few seconds. Hermann was about to ask again when he finally spoke up at the quiet prompting of the lawyer.

          “Yeah, like, it kind of stuck in my mind when Agent Geiszler was in the hospital. His chemical burns were pretty bad and it was all really hush hush that he was even there. Not something that happens often. When I walked in and saw him, I realized who he was and then I saw you too. Look, I didn’t know what Chau would do, okay? I panicked and I told him that I recognized you two; that you were DEA agents.”

          “What did you hope to gain by telling him this?” Hermann pressed as he shifted in his chair, slipping his glasses off so he could look at Miles head on. He seemed to squirm a bit under the direct eye contact.

          “Answer the question, please.” Tendo prompted him when the encouragement of his lawyer didn’t seem to get him talking. Miles eyed Hermann for a few more moments before giving a huff.

          “Honestly? I figured if you two were there that meant some shit was going to go down. If Chau went down, with you two having seen me, I figured I’d be taken down too. I wanted to avoid that. I didn’t think Chau would try to kill you two-“

          “Yet you wanted Chau to know so he could stop us from taking him down. How did you expect him to do that if not to kill us?”

          “I don’t know! Okay, so maybe I knew on some level what that would mean but like I said I panicked.” Tendo’s hand came to rest on Hermann’s knee under the table; a signal that he needed to not let his emotions get too riled. It was difficult even if Hermann had understood it was part of the agreement he’d made to be allowed to sit in on the questioning. Miles’ lawyer was talking to him in a low voice as well. The room going to quiet murmurs for a moment.

          “I think we’re done for now. My client is prepared to write out a full statement as we’ve agreed on.” The lawyer spoke up and Hermann gave a soft sigh as he closed his notebook.

          “Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll get you a statement form. We’ll need as much detail as you can remember.” Tendo stood with him and followed Hermann out of the room. Herc was out in the hall and he took the notebook from Hermann as he stepped out. “How’s your kid doing?”

          “Stubborn as ever. But he’s good. Did this guy know anything of use?” Herc leafed briefly through the notes as he waited for their answer.

          “Perhaps the names of some of the other nurses that Chau was paying. I honestly doubt much more than that.” Herc nodded as he closed the notebook with a sigh as he looked at Hermann.

          “That will give us a bit more to work with; not that we don’t have enough to send Chau away with either way. Hard to get as many charges as he’s racked up dismissed. We’re wrapping up here for the day; why don’t you head on home, Gottlieb?” Herc gave him a soft smile and Hermann sighed as he nodded his head.

          “I will shortly. Thank you, sir.”

 

          Hermann stepped into the small observation room with a feeling of apprehension. Tendo followed in after him, closed the door behind them as Hermann stepped up to the glass. He’d asked him to come along as he did this. Had wanted someone else there though he wasn’t sure if it was for his sake or Chau’s with that twisted fist of anger that still rested in his gut.

          Chau was sitting by himself at the moment in the other room, hands cuffed together and to the table. He’d be moved back to a cell soon now that the interrogations were over for the day but for now he’d been left sitting alone. He was glaring down at the table, the anger he’d apparently been masking behind those shark tooth smiles gone for the moment.

          “You okay, brother?” Tendo asked the question from beside him and Hermann sighed as he nodded his head. He could have gone in and talked to Chau. Could have had a conversation with him, asked him questions about what had happened. Made some choice comments on the fact that he’d allowed himself to be caught. That he had failed in both of his attempts on their lives.

          “I’m am fine, Tendo.” Hermann gave Tendo a reassuring look when he continued to look at him skeptically. This wasn’t as satisfying as Hermann had hoped, seeing Chau like this, but it did at least help with the sense of making Chau seem more human again. Less something that would haunt his nightmares and just someone who had built themselves on tenuous strings of power that had all snapped and broken. He lifted a hand hesitantly before he rapped a knuckle lightly against the glass just once.

          Tendo raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t comment as Chau’s attention was brought to the one-way mirror. He stared at it for a moment; seemed to stare at them even though Hermann knew that all he could see was his own reflection. A smile spread on his face as he leaned back in his chair.

          “How is our Agent Geiszler doing, Agent Gottlieb? I mean…that is you, isn’t it? Don’t have the nerve to actually face me?”

          Hermann frowned as he spoke; felt a wave of defensiveness and anger at his wording. _Our_ Agent Geiszler as if he had some shared claim. Hermann adjusted his grip on his cane and observed him was he seemed to wait for his response. Waited to see if he’d gotten under his skin enough.

          “You know…even if he didn’t have enough of the Blue to rot his mind. Even if he didn’t bleed out from that gunshot wound in his side. Your boy’s not going to be free and clear of all this. I’ll find a way to get to him and then you; two bullets and someone who’s a steady shot is all I’ll need.”

          “Well, I guess that can be counted as another threat against a federal agent,” Tendo said with disgust in his voice. It was true though, in his attempt to get at Hermann, Chau had just made a clear threat while sitting in an interrogation room where he’d clearly forgotten he was being recorded. Hermann watched him, saw the smile falter when he didn’t seem to get any response from their end. No more knocks, no Hermann storming into the room to confront him or commenting from over an intercom. Silence. And seeing that uncertainly and realization cross Chau’s face made Hermann smile.

          “Thank you for accompanying me, Tendo. I think I’m going to take Herc’s advise and head home for the day.”

          “Of course, brother.”

 

          Hermann sighed as he stepped up to his apartment door; pulled his keys out to unlock it and step inside. Raleigh was watching the door closely from the couch not seeming too concerned given Hermann had sent him a heads up that he was on his way home. There was a couple of Chinese takeout cartons sitting on the table and the television was on quietly playing in the background. Raleigh moved to switch this off as Hermann slid his coat off to hang near the door.

          “How’d things go today? That nurse talk at all?” Raleigh took one more bite of his food before starting to gather things up some. They had someone with Newton at all times still; the rest of the team had been taking turns staying with him during the day. Herc had given Hermann permission to be on leave for a while starting tomorrow though. Between his own injuries still needing to heal and the fact that Newton clearly felt the most comfortable when they were in sight of each other it seemed the best choice.

          “Yes. He gave us a full statement and the names of a couple of other nurses he knew for certain worked with Chau. He will get off with a lighter sentence but he will never work in another nursing position again.” Raleigh nodded as he carried his containers over to drop them in the trash and clean the used silverware.

          “I ordered you your usual too. Figured you might not feel up to cooking tonight and he’s already asleep. Has been for a while; I think he’s still feeling off from…you know. It’s only been a couple of days.” Raleigh watched Hermann as he moved to look inside the fridge. Sure, enough a couple of the cardboard containers sat inside waiting for him and he felt a small sense of relief. “You want me to stay? I can always sleep on the couch.”

          Hermann had carefully pulled the two containers out of the fridge and he frowned as he contemplated this. He didn’t want to impose but part of him knew he’d sleep much easier knowing they had someone else nearby. There was little chance anything would happen, logically he understood that, but if it did?

          Newton was in no condition to fight and Hermann honestly wasn’t certain he’d be much use either. The bruises left by the force of the bullet that had hit his bulletproof vest were improving but still were tender and sore. He was also struggling some to walk without the brace for the time being and sleeping with it on was uncomfortable and inadvisable.

          “I can stay, Hermann. I’m more than happy to.” Raleigh spoke up gently as put the rinsed silverware into the dishwasher.

          “Thank you. I do appreciate it. I think we will both rest a little easier.” Hermann gave him a thankful smile and Raleigh moved to grab the containers of food for him to carry out into the living room. They sat together for a while talking quietly about what had happened during the afternoon while Raleigh was at the apartment. Hermann ate the lukewarm food that tasted surprisingly good despite its tepid temperature.

          He frowned as he noticed a case with flowers sitting on the side table that he hadn’t noticed before. Raleigh glanced back towards it as he realized what had drawn his attention.

          "Those came earlier. They'd apparently been delivered to the hospital and they gave Yancy a call. He grabbed them and dropped them off. The cards in there somewhere; wasn't sure if you'd know who they're from or not? His uncle, maybe?" Raleigh got up from the couch to grab the small card that was tucked inside among the blossoms. He handed it to Hermann who opened it up with little hesitation. He had called Newton’s father and uncle to let them know what had happened. He was surprised they would have sent the flower to the hospital though unless he was remembering incorrectly about sending them a text about him being home. Well, technically at Hermann’s home.

 

_Newton,_

_Get Well Soon! I hope we get the chance to talk again soon. In the meantime, remember...life finds a way._

_Sincerely,_

_I.M._

 

          Hermann frowned a flipped the small card over to see if there was anything else but that seemed to be it. The initials didn’t match up with Newton’s uncle Ilia but it could be a typo. Though the message itself seemed odd. The ‘ _Get Well Soon!_ ’ seemed like a generic pre-set with the extra tag line added onto it.

          “I am not certain who these are from but I don’t believe they’re from his uncle. I…has he seen these?” Raleigh shook his head as he glanced towards the bedroom door as if checking to see if Newton was up or not.

          “No, Yancy dropped them off after he had gone to lie down. I was really hoping it was the uncle and he just had a weird sense of humor.” Raleigh frowned as Hermann slipped the card back into the small envelop that had contained it. He tapped it against his knee for a moment before setting it aside on the table. “You think it’s something to worry about?”

          “I’m not certain but I definitely think it’s something to bring up with Herc. Its possible Newton will know who they are from and it will turn out to be nothing but…” Hermann sighed as he trailed off, pushed some of his beef broccoli around with his chopsticks for a moment not feeling all that hungry anymore.

          “But it might be something.” Hermann gave a soft nod of his head as he folded up the top of his container of food. He would save it; something to eat tomorrow when he could share what was left with Newton now that he had the time off. Raleigh patted him on the shoulder, reached carefully and took the cartons from him before heading towards the kitchen. “You should head in and get some rest, Hermann, you look pretty worn out.”

          “Ah, I think I will but let me grab you some blankets first. I’m already imposing by having you stay-“

          “Don’t even worry about it. I’m glad to stay; I’d rather know you were both alright myself.” Hermann nodded and gave Raleigh a grateful smile as he shifted off the couch. He retrieved some blankets and a spare pillow from the linen closet and set them out for Raleigh to get settled with before saying goodnight.

 

          Newton stirred in his sleep as he sensed something chance in the room. He caught his breath, for a moment struggling to remember where he even was, as he tried to gauge what sort of danger he might be in. The room was dark though some light streamed in between the curtains; a bright orange glow of streetlights. Low quiet voices came from the next room over. They weren’t loud enough for him to understand.

          Something was moving through the room quiet but still present. _No, someone._ Newton’s mind was trying to catch up but it’d been sluggish on the uptake especially coming out of nightmares and dreams. But he finally started to recognize the form that was changing out of work clothes and into sweats and a t-shirt. Newton curled up a little as Hermann came to sit on the edge of the bed; cold even in the oversized sweater shirt with blankets piled on top of him. He didn’t usually run cold but that’s how he’d felt even before they’d left the hospital. Bitterly cold, a longing he tried no to acknowledge in the back of his mind and hands shaking slightly when it got really bad.

          “It’s just me, darling.” Hermann seemed to realize that he was awake as he spoke softly. He scooted back into the bed as Newton carefully sat up; torn and bruised muscles and tissue complaining as he did. His side throbbed slightly and his ribs restricted his breathing some but the real pain was dulled away by the prescription he’d been given. Just like that yearning that left him feeling itchy and disgusted with him. They’d given him something that was supposed to help ease that away too over time.

          Newton scooted closer to him as Hermann slid his legs under the blankets before handing him his glasses. Newt pushed them on his face, felt some belated relief at the fact that Hermann’s bedroom came into view. That he could see without doubt even in the dark that it was Hermann besides him now; real and solid and completely not a figment.

          “How did today go? Is someone still here?” There was a light on in the other room, Newton could see the glow of it under the door and that muffled sound of voices still carried through. He tried to curl up next to Hermann; had to shift around far too long to find a position that didn’t press or pull at some injury or another. Hermann sat patiently and waited for him. Newton felt grateful for that patience; had found himself feeling that way repeatedly in regards to Hermann over the last few days.

          “Raleigh is staying the night since it’s so late. He has the television on. And today went…fine. The nurse, Miles, gave a full statement. Everything is moving forward the way it should.” Newton finally managed to get situated, rested his head against Hermann’s chest where he could hear the beat of his heart. Hermann had been quiet about how the case was going at first. Newton knew it was out of concern that it’d upset him but _not_ knowing made Newton feel more anxious.

          “That’s good…” Newton had to stifle a yawn that dragged its way out of him. It hurt, the deep breath making his damaged ribs to shift and the pain of it broke through the medication. He had to sit completely still for a moment, closing his eyes against it feeling tense until it subsided some. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep before Hermann had come into the bedroom but he was quickly feeling worn out all over again.

          He felt Hermann carefully rest is arm around him, ever conscious and careful, as Newton managed to find his breath. He smiled a little when he felt Hermann press a kiss against the top of his head. Glad he had him there with him. He had moments, anxiety-filled minutes where he feared Hermann would decide it’d be better to pull away like before. It seemed unlikely when he was clear headed and calm; Hermann had literally brought him home once he’d been released from the hospital. He’d have to kick Newton out at this point and that wasn’t rational. Newton didn’t always feel completely rational though.

          “I have some time off starting tomorrow so I will be here with you.” Newton peeked up at Hermann as he said this; his glasses going a bit crooked as they snagged on his t-shirt. They were an old pair that weren’t quite the right prescription but they served their purpose. His other pair had apparently been busted at some point during the bust. Newton could only remember that in bursts and a lot of what he remembered didn’t seem…real. He was fairly certain that they’d faced off against Chau but things were fragments and broken. If he focused on it too much some of irrational fear rose up and tried to swallow him in panic. “Darling?”

          Newton blinked as he heard Hermann say his name and came back to the moment to realize he had wet tracks on his cheeks. He frowned, moved to brush them away and ignored the bruised and tender skin on his right cheek. That’s all he was underneath the sweatshirt and sweatpants. Bruises and scraps and stitched up pieces.

          “That will be nice. I’ve missed you…” Newton spoke as he shifted next to Hermann, tried to sit up a little straighter and doing his best not to let the soft noises of discomfort creep out.

          “I’ve miss you as well. I…I’m glad that you’re safe and that you’re here.” Newton frowned lightly as he leaned closer to Hermann to try and read his expression. He wondered what he’d stopped himself from saying. Hermann just smiled at him, soft and sad looking, as he cupped Newton’s cheek with his hand.

          “No where else I’d rather be.” Newton whispered it, feeling a bit timid and uncertain as he leaned forward to press his lips lightly against Hermann’s. Hermann leaned forward into the kiss and Newton took it as a sign that this was ok. He parted his lips as he moved to straddle Hermann’s lap; cursing the fact that the movement made a soft noise of pain slip out. He especially hated the fact that that was all it took to make Hermann sigh and pull back. “I’m fine…”

          “You need rest, darling.” Newton leaned forward to rest his head on Hermann’s shoulder that wasn’t bruised up and tender. “We should get to sleep.” He could hear the smile in Hermann’s voice as Newton leaned to nuzzle against his neck.

          Hermann felt warm against him; another stark contrast from before and something Newton hoped returned to normal. He preferred being the warm one but his system was so out of whack right now between healing and trying to shake the lingering clutching remains of the Blue. Newton pressed his lips lazily against Hermann’s neck; felt grounded by the feel of Hermann’s hands resting carefully on his waist below the bandage over his stitched-up side.

          “I’ve slept enough.” He knew the words were less convincing as he fought to stifle another yawn. It seemed to triggered one for Hermann as well; Newton feelings the rise and fall of his chest. The apartment sounded suddenly quiet around them as Raleigh turned off the television in the living room and Newton gave a soft sigh as he listened to the reverb of Hermann’s voice close to his ear.  

          “I find that difficult to believe, Newton, but even so I need some rest.” Hermann shifted a little and Newton complained but moved along with him so they could lie down. He kept a constant hold on Hermann as they moved in an unconscious manner. Newton was doing his best to hold himself together and having Hermann close made that a little easier. He had lost his hold on things in the hospital a few times; had dissolved into a mess that felt like an admission of weakness.

          Hermann got them settled down under the blankets and Newton slipped his glasses off and handed them off to him to place on the nightstand again. He curled up tightly against Hermann now that they were lying down; legs tangled together as the quiet settled over them. He tried to stay awake so he could listen to Hermann’s heartbeat for a while longer. Tried to stay awake until Hermann had fallen asleep himself.

          Hermann must have been exhausted with how quickly he seemed to drift off to sleep. Newton was aware of his own breathing growing slow and shallow as he started to doze; matching Hermann’s steady breathes in the darkness. Newton cracked his eyes open for a moment to glance up at him; to see the angles of his face accented by those harsh slivers of streetlight creeping in.

          He glanced around the room for just a moment then and felt a spike of anxiety as he thought he saw shadows shift and move. He squeezed his eyes closed tightly, hand knotting in Hermann’s shirt as he pushed it away. Hermann shifted, mumbled something incoherently to him in his sleep, and Newton opened his eyes just a bit to look again. The room was empty, the apartment quiet with a hint of snoring coming from the living room where Raleigh was apparently asleep.

          Newton glanced towards the alarm clock on the nightstand and could barely make out the time if he squinted. Several hours had passed; he’d been asleep and nothing was moving in the room. He curled a little closer to Hermann; ignored the painful ache that shot through him as he did. He hesitated before closing his eyes; tried to remind himself that he was safe, he was home and he had Hermann beside him.

          Newton hugged Hermann a little close and re-situated where his head rested on his chest as he listened and let Hermann’s heartbeat drum him back to sleep.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, this is the end. This had been about three years in the making. I've had drafts related to this fic in my files since 2015 when the concept first came to me only to sit for three years before I got inspired to write PR fanfic again. I've greatly enjoyed writing this fic; it's all the things and more than what I had originally thought up in those few small scenes I wrote back then. 
> 
> I may someday write a sequel to this as I do have the barest inkling of an idea for one. For now though; I hope you've all enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading. <3


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